The Free Mind of a Used Body
by Color With Marker
Summary: "They may use my body but my mind is free. In my mind I escape." Gladys Lawson. Zexion is one of fourteen nobodies. Slaves. Toys. Prostitutes. And despite what he's become, he plans on making it through this one way or another. Eventual Zemyx.
1. Chapter 1

_"Innocence is always unsuspicious."_

_~Joseph Joubert_

Being nine years old was tough for Ienzo. He thought that learning to write in cursive and doing long division was too much for his young mind. That is, until both of his parents were killed in a tragic car accident only a week ago. Ienzo had been devastated. They were all he had. He had no friends at school - he was an outcast for choosing reading books over climbing trees. His parents had no siblings or remaining family members alive, and nowhere else to go in Radiant Garden. Ienzo didn't have any siblings either. So the day after his parents were buried, he was dropped off in front of a large mansion through the woods of Twilight Town with nothing but the clothes on his back and a few of his belongings in the knapsack on his shoulders. The old house was built out of decomposing bricks with only a few windows to peer out of. A large gate surrounded the mansion, vines crawling across the brick and steel. The front door was a simple white wooden door, nothing special in Ienzo's eyes. Thin vines climbed along the outer walls of the mansion, as if trying to conceal the house. The lawn didn't seem to have been tended to in years, the dead yellowing grass reaching Ienzo's knees. Despite the eery feeling this house gave him, he walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. He heard chimes echoing inside. Creaking footsteps were audible, and then the door swung open to reveal an older blonde man with an unamused look plastered on his face.

"You must be Ienzo," he said dully. The boy nodded. "Alright. Come on in then." Ienzo stepped inside. The door was slammed shut behind him. "Although you should know by now, my name is Ansem, and I am your guardian from here on out. Follow me and you shall meet the others." Ienzo gripped the straps of his knapsack and followed Ansem. His sneakers squeaked with each step. He was led into the kitchen, where seven other kids, each one significantly older than he was, were sitting around a table. "These are your, er, foster brothers."

Ienzo studied each one as he was introduced. Xemnas had the darkest skin and long silver hair, with an expression similar to the one Ansem had given him upon their first meeting. Xigbar, whose hair was tied back and eyes emotionless, didn't seem to thrilled to have the young newcomer around. Lexaeus was the largest man in the room, at least twice Ienzo's height, and had a very threatening stance, which slightly frightened the nine-year-old. Vexen, the blonde man who was wearing a lab coat for no apparent reason, seemed just about as interested as Xigbar. Xaldin seemed less-than-impressed with the boy and tended to his thick sideburns. Ienzo waved to them all. They quickly forgot his presence and resumed a conversation that had been taking place before Ienzo arrived.

"Xigbar, take Ienzo to his new room," Ansem ordered the scarred one.

He rolled her eyes. "Why me? Can't someone else do it?" he asked, not hiding his annoyance of having Ienzo around.

"Because I asked you, not someone else. Now get off your ass and do something worthwhile." Ienzo was confused. For a foster family, it didn't seem to be as cheerful or comforting as his real family had been. Xigbar groaned overdramatically before shoving his chair back from the small round table and standing up. He grabbed Ienzo by his elbow and pulled him along. About halfway down a long hallway of several doors, Xigbar halted and pushed open one of the doors. Without uttering a single word to Ienzo, he shoved the kid inside and went back to the other boys.

Ienzo studied his new room. It was very plain. Light wood flooring. White wallpaper that was peeling off at the upper corners. A single bed with white sheets, but was fortunately a queen-size. A small dresser on the far wall. A nightstand with a clock sitting on it. A door that most likely lead to a small closet. Ienzo liked the simplicity of it and started taking out his belongings. Clothes. A few books he took from his parents' study. A picture of his family from two years ago. Hairbrush, toothbrush, toothpaste. He didn't think he needed many things. After all, wasn't it the parent's job to provide what the child needs, like new sneakers when he would eventually grow out of the ones on his feet now? Ienzo folded up his clothes and put them in the dresser. The picture of his parents were hidden underneath his shirts, where hopefully no one would find it. His bag went in the closet and his other things were placed on the dresser. Ienzo unlaced his sneakers and kicked them off before flopping on the bed. It'd been a long day and all he wanted to do right now was sleep forever.

* * *

When Ienzo woke up, he wasn't back at home as he'd dreamt he was. He was still in his new plain bedroom. The bedroom door swung open, and Xemnas stood there. "I was told to retrieve you," he said. "Ansem doesn't want you to be back here."

"Why not?" Ienzo asked, the first words he'd spoken to anyone here.

"Don't ask any questions. Just come with me." Ienzo put his sneakers back on and followed his new foster brother into the main room. Ansem sat behind a desk while his other siblings lounged around on the couches or chairs, each one seeming bored. Ienzo noticed how Xigbar, Xaldin, and Vexen were wearing less clothing than he had remembered. He ignored the detail and sat in the empty chair that Xemnas was motioning to, right next to Ansem's desk.

"Alright, kids, showtime," Ansem said when the old clock on the wall struck ten. Approximately thirteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. Lexaeus answered it. A fat man who Ienzo didn't recognize entered. He was wearing a very nice suit and his hair was slicked back. Ienzo just stared at the stranger.

"Good evening, Ansem," the man greeted.

"Hello," Ansem replied. "Who'll it be tonight?"

The man looked at Ienzo's foster siblings before pointing a thick finger at Vexen. "That blonde one," he said.

"Alright, Vexen, you know the drill," Ansem said in a bored tone. Vexen nodded and led the stranger down the hall. Ienzo watched as the two went into what he assumed was Vexen's room and shut the door. While they were in there, another man came and selected Xaldin to go back there with. Ienzo watched in confusion. What were his siblings doing with these strange men in their rooms?

After another hour and another three men coming and leaving, one came in whose eyes were instantly drawn to Ienzo. "Well well well, who do we have here?" he drawled, grinning at the nine-year-old.

"That's Ienzo," Ansem said. "And he's off-limits."

"That's a shame. He's a pretty one." The stranger lightly ran the back of his fingers over Ienzo's cheek. The boy jerked away from him. Why was this stranger touching him? Why wasn't Ansem doing anything about it? Had Daddy been here, he would've snapped this man's fingers in half had he even looked at Ienzo like this.

"He's just a boy," Ansem said, his patience visibly wearing thin.

"And that's how I like them."

"Then take Xigbar. He's just about as mature as this kid."

"Hey!" Xigbar cried.

"Fine." The man took Xigbar hand and let him lead the way. Now Ienzo was becoming frightened. What was happening?

"Ansem?" he asked timidly. "What're those men doing with Xigbar and Vexen and Xaldin?"

Ansem stared at Ienzo for a while, trying to produce a legitimate answer that wouldn't scare the kid. "Let's just say that it's something you don't have to worry about for a long time kiddo," he said, ruffling Ienzo's slate hair. Ienzo loved when people did that to him, especially Mama. He giggled and sat there calmly for the rest of the night, not worried about his foster brothers anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Innocence is thought charming because it offers delightful possibilities for exploitation."_

_~Mason Cooley_

On Ienzo's twelfth birthday, it seemed as though he was the only one who actually remembered. In fact, every day the others were always too preoccupied with something else to even remember the youngster's existence. It didn't help that they were all older than him by a landslide; he was only younger than Axel, who's seventeen now. Even the several more recent additions to this foster family - Saïx, Axel, Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia, and Larxene - were much older than he was. And every night, Ienzo sat next to Ansem in the main room while people he didn't know came in and went to the bedrooms with his siblings. The next morning they'd all sit around the kitchen table and discuss things in quiet, things Ienzo didn't understand at all. Why was his family so... dysfunctional? They rarely laughed from something joyful happening as much as laughing at the others' misfortunes or pranks pulled. They would fight violently, and all disputes lead to Lexaeus hold the quarrellers apart by holding them in the air by their long hair. Sometimes Ienzo had someone to play with, but not like most kids played. Luxord would entertain him with card tricks, or Marluxia would ask him to help plant flowers in his room. The others chose to ignore him.

That no-longer-special day began with Xemnas knocking on Ienzo's door and entering quietly. "Good afternoon, Ienzo," he greeted solemnly. "I believe you are twelve now."

"I sure am!" Ienzo replied gleefully.

"Terrific." Xemnas didn't seem as thrilled as Ienzo was. "But do you know what this means, Ienzo?" The slate-haired boy shook his head. "Now you get to... do what the big kids do." Ienzo smiled. Now he was a big kid! "This means that during the night, when a man comes here and wants to spend some time with you, you must do whatever the man says, okay?" Ienzo wasn't sure what this meant, but he nodded and decided to go along with it. "Right now you should go eat. When you come back in here, there's gonna be a gift waiting on your bed for you." A gift! This was going to be a great birthday! Ienzo jumped out of bed and raced into the kitchen. The others were already in there.

"There's the birthday boy," Xigbar said with a grin. "Come sit here. We made you a sandwich." Ienzo sat on the chair between Xigbar and Larxene. A sandwich was in front of him, just as he was told. "Go on, eat it." He did.

"So you're finally gonna be one of the big kids now," Xaldin said. "How does it feel?"

"I dunno," Ienzo replied. "It doesn't feel any different."

"Oh, trust me, it will soon," Saïx said with a grin. Lexaeus smacked him upside the head. Ienzo didn't know why, but he really didn't care. He continued eating while his brothers and sister went on and on about being a big kid. Most of what they said was very vague to Ienzo. All he thought about was finally being one of the big kids.

* * *

Later at night, Ienzo didn't sit next to Ansem, but with his foster siblings, wearing his birthday present: a tight pair of khaki shorts, a white tank top that only covered his chest, and boots. A pink barrette from Larxene's room was used to clip back Ienzo's bangs, which were starting to grow in front of his eyes. He watched the same thing that happened every night - men came in, picked their person, and went to the back for an hour before leaving with disheveled clothes and messy hair. To Ienzo, this was nothing different.

Then one man came in and had his eyes cast right on Ienzo. The boy recognized this man: he was from his first night here, all those years ago.

"We meet again, Ienzo," he said coolly. Something in his tone frightened Ienzo.

"I know how long you've waited for this," Ansem told the man. "He's all yours tonight." The stranger grinned and held out his hand to Ienzo. "Ienzo, take this nice man to your room," Ansem instructed. "After all, you're a big kid now." Ienzo did as he was told. He didn't enjoy the way this man seemed to drool over him. Ienzo opened the door to his bedroom and let go of the man's hand. He climbed on his bed and sat there, his eyes glued to the floor when he heard the door shut. A minute later, Xemnas came into the room too.

"Ansem said so," he told the other two. "Just to make sure everything goes smoothly." Ienzo was confused. What was going to happen? The other man just nodded and grinned.

"Three years," the man said. "I've waited that long to get my hands on you." He walked around the bed and opened the nightstand drawer. "Tell me, Ienzo, how old are you?"

"Today's my twelfth birthday," Ienzo said, holding up his fingers to show him.

"Well, happy birthday. I'm gonna help you make this one to remember." He took things out of the drawer. Ienzo didn't remember seeing those in there before. A small tube and a foil square. What were they? How did they get in there? Something told Ienzo they weren't more birthday presents.

"Take off your shirt," the man told Ienzo. He obeyed, not sure why. Soon two calloused hands were moving across his exposed chest, occasionally pinching a nipple. Ienzo didn't like this at all. He squirmed a bit. But the man didn't let up. Why was he touching him?

"Now your boots." Ienzo did so.

"And your shorts too."

That's where Ienzo decided he needed to draw his own line. "Why?" he asked.

"Because I said so."

"But... I don't wanna." Ienzo pouted a bit. Usually pouting got him out of doing things when he went to school, or didn't want to do what his parents asked. Maybe pouting would work on this man.

"Nobody asked if you wanted to," the man growled. "I said take off your shorts. Now do so."

"No!" Ienzo cried. The man lost his patience. He started fumbling with the buttons on Ienzo's shorts, while the boy tried to push him away with his tiny hands.

"Stop fighting, Ienzo," Xemnas said from his place by the door. "Do what the nice man says. You're supposed to be a big kid now, so start acting like one." Ienzo listened and let the man take off his shorts. Now all he had on was his underwear. He was physically moved to the center of his bed and pushed on his back. His wrists were restrained above his head by handcuffs attached to the headboard - where did the handcuffs come from? The man took joy in running his tongue across Ienzo, who helplessly tried to free himself. Why was Xemnas just standing there? Did he not see what was going on? Ienzo was flipped onto his stomach and his underwear was ripped off. He heard crinkling sounds, but he didn't know what was going on around him. He'd never felt so scared in his life.

Suddenly two hands roughly grabbed his hips and something entered him from behind hard and fast. Ienzo cried out in pain. But that didn't stop whatever was in him from thrusting in and out, each thrust more painful than the one before. Grunts were heard right above his head. Soon the thrusting stopped and what was in him pulled out. Something was tossed on the floor and munny landed on Ienzo's bare back. A zipper was zipped.

"I'll lead you to the front door," Xemnas told the man. The two left the room, leaving Ienzo bound to the bed. The youngster started to cry. He felt scared and confused and vulnerable all at once. It was too much for him. Soon the door reopened. Ienzo froze, afraid that it was the man again. He squeezed his eyes shut. Soon the handcuffs were unlocked and his chafed wrists were free. Ienzo looked behind him to see Axel standing there with the key in his hand.

"That's what it means to be a big kid here," he said quietly.

"I don't like it," Ienzo said through tears.

"I'm sorry. None of us do. But we have no choice." Axel handed Ienzo his clothes. "Ansem will probably let you stay in here for the rest of the night. I'll be back for you in the morning." Axel left the room. Ienzo redressed himself slowly and sobbed until he fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Axel came into Ienzo's room and woke him up. Ienzo sat up and immediately felt pain shoot through the lower region of his body.

"I thought that might happen," Axel said. "Just try to stand for the rest of today. Don't worry thought; soon you won't feel a thing." Axel took Ienzo's hand and brought him into the kitchen. The others were in there. The conversations they were having ended abruptly when they saw Ienzo.

"Hey," Saïx spoke up first. "Heard you had a rough night. Sorry to hear about that." Ienzo stuck his thumb in his mouth and bit on it. He didn't want to cry in front of them. He refused to cry in front of them.

"We should probably tell you about the worst part," Larxene warned. Wait, there was _worse_ than what had happened to him? Larxene motioned for Ienzo to come closer. He did and Larxene turned around and lifted the hem of her shirt. The number XII was burned into the pale flesh of her lower back. Ienzo gasped. It looked awfully painful.

"We all have one," Xemnas said, revealing the I behind his left ear. The rest of the group showed Ienzo theirs. A II on Xigbar's eyepatch from when he'd gotten too rough one night. III on the back of Xaldin's neck. Vexen's right hand had a IV on the back of it. The V on Lexaeus's right bicep and Saïx's VII on his left one. Demyx said his was on his upper back and didn't reveal it. Luxord's X on the palm of his left hand. Marluxia didn't show Ienzo his mark, but told him that his inner thigh read XI. Axel had no shame in pulling down his gym shorts and sporting the VIII on his upper right thigh. Ienzo was scared. Where would his go?

"He might go easy on you," Marluxia said. "You'll probably get it on your arm." Ienzo just nodded, hoping he wouldn't even get branded. Just then, Ansem entered the room, and the silence was haunting.

"Come with me, Ienzo," he ordered. Ienzo nodded and followed Ansem. He went up the stairs to the master suite. It was covered in lovely shades of red and purple and was much larger than any other room in the house. Ansem led Ienzo to the bed, right by the fireplace. The two metal poles sticking out worried Ienzo. He already knew what they were for.

"I know that last night was something you're not used to," Ansem said. "But now that you're a big kid, you have to do big kid things. That means contributing. Just because you're the youngest doesn't guarantee special treatment either." Ansem looked over at the two poles. "So, how do you feel about the number six?" Ienzo shrugged. "Good. Now I need you to lie on the bed." Ienzo did as he was told. "Now, I'm gonna give you something to help you take a nap. And when you wake up, you shouldn't feel a thing." Ienzo was given a cup with a suspicious-looking green liquid in it. Ienzo drank it. It had a foul taste. "Good, Ienzo. Now, just lie down and go to sleep." The child laid on his side and let his eyelids slowly shut on their own.

* * *

Ansem had lied. When Ienzo woke up, he was nude and felt intense pain near his bottom again: the same as the night before, and then a different one. This new pain felt like his flesh was on fire. Ienzo gulped. Marluxia had said the number would be on his arm, not his backside. He was not only embarrassed but ashamed too. He saw his clothes within his reach and quietly and slowly dressed himself.

"You're no longer Ienzo," Ansem said, startling the boy. Ienzo looked to see Ansem standing by the bed. "From now on, you will be addressed as Zexion." Ienzo... well, Zexion now, nodded slowly. "Now, Zexion, time to go downstairs." He looked at the boy's small stature. "Your body type might be the right size to wear the same clothing as Larxene. Let's go try on her old clothes and see if you fit them."

"No!" Ienzo cried. He tried escaping, but Ansem yanked him off the bed by his wrist.

"Listen here, you little shit," Ansem said in a dangerously low tone, "I didn't ask for your opinion. Whatever I say goes, you got that? So you'll wear what I say, go where I choose, and do as I command, you understand?" Ienzo nodded. "Good." He didn't let go of Ienzo as he led him downstairs.

Ienzo didn't want to be a big kid anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Every bad situation makes you realize something, whether it's who your friends are or how you're alive."_

_~Anonymous_

Three years later, Zexion sat at the table and observed the idiotic behavior of his fellow roommates. It was a hobby of his; watch what the others did and try not to stoop to their level. For example, try not to flirt with everyone shamelessly, like Larxene, who has been all over Marluxia for the past forty minutes. Don't be submissive to the others' unneccessary taunting, like poor Xion, who has been Saïx's punching bag since she'd shown up a few months ago. Without Axel and Roxas at her side, she was vulnerable, leaving her an open target. Zexion couldn't believe she was older than him. Meanwhile, he knew Axel was trying to seduce Roxas in one of their bedrooms. "Best friends" his ass. Axel's infatuation for the blonde was evident to everyone, even Roxas. Luxord had been showing Lexaeus a new magic trick he'd just come up with. Vexen was trying to figure out the trick on his own. Xaldin, Xigbar, and Xemnas were having their own dispute over who would get the last bowl of their favorite cereal in the morning. And then there was Demyx, one of the younger members (but Zexion was still the youngest one, currently only fifteen), who was humming something to himself. Zexion just sat there, half of his face hidden behind his hair, listening and observing quietly.

"Is it sad that Saïx can actually be meaner than Larxene?" Xigbar noted as Xion started tearing up.

"Hey!" Larxene exclaimed. "I can be mean when I choose to!" She grabbed a handful of Marluxia's pink hair. "Like Marly's hair! God, he looks like a chick from behind with this! No wonder everyone thinks he's a fag."

"Larxene! You know I'm not the only gay guy in this house!" Marluxia exclaimed, his feelings obviously hurt.

"You're right. I mean, the only guy who could possibly be gayer than you is fucking _Zexion_," Larxene giggled. All eyes turned to Zexion, who covered the other half of his face with his slate bangs. He could've sworn he heard Larxene mutter, "My point exactly." Zexion knew better than to open his mouth. Larxene was very violent, and much bigger than Zexion.

"Hey!" he heard Roxas cry. Zexion parted his hair to see Roxas pushing Saïx away from Xion. "Leave her alone!"

"What's your problem, man?" Axel asked. "She's only seventeen. Give her a break!"

"Stop acting as if she's so damn special," Saïx sneered. "She's been here for a while now."

"It's only been four months. Besides, she's freaked out already. Tonight's her first night."

Zexion looked at Xion. Her blue eyes shone from tears. The poor girl had no idea what she was about to go through. This morning she was given a white lace corset and tiny denim shorts to wear for the night. Of course, she tried refusing, until Larxene was "kind" enough to tell Xion the (exaggerated, because it was Larxene) story of what'd happened to Zexion. Xion didn't hesitate getting dressed into her new clothes after that.

Why was it people were acting so sincere to Xion? She was seventeen years old. She was two years Zexion's elder, and he had to do these disgusting things as a twelve-year-old. If anything, she was lucky. Most men who came around didn't care much for girls. Larxene was lucky to get seven clients in a week. The only other time a girl was chosen was when Ansem made Zexion go out in drag. Larxene had always taken this as the ultimate slap to the face - people wanted someone dressed as a girl rather than a real one. Larxene made it a habit of trying to get her revenge on Zexion in the littlest ways. Ripping his clothes, stealing his toothbrush, hiding the lube in his room, etc. Now he wondered if Larxene would start poking holes in the condoms in Xion's room to make sure no one ever slept with her.

A cry tore Zexion from his thoughts. A brawl had formed between Saïx, Axel, and Roxas. Saïx, being bigger than the other two, had no trouble keeping them off of him and delivering a few punches of his own without breaking a sweat. Roxas fell over after being shoved into the counter. Axel was punched in the face and landed in Xigbar's arms. Xion let out a scream and ran to Roxas' side. Saïx reached for her but was intercepted by Lexaeus, who picked up the blue-haired man and punched him right in the middle of the X on his face. Saïx was dropped on the floor when Larxene decided she needed to be the center of attention. She pointed out that Xion was wearing her "favorite" shorts and the two girls were wrestling over them. The boys, most of them being horny and the rest frightened (Zexion was the exception, unamused by their petty bickering after years of witnessing it), refused to try breaking it up. Larxene clawed at Xion's face. Xion grabbed Larxene's hair and yanked as hard as she could.

"Stop!" Ansem's booming voice made time freeze. The two girls stopped attacking each other and stood up quickly, brushing themselves off. Roxas mustered up enough strength to stand on two feet again. Axel wrapped his arms around Xion. Lexaeus helped Saïx to his feet.

"They were rough-housing again, sir," Xemnas said quickly. Zexion rolled his eyes. Xemnas was a major kiss-ass whenever Ansem was around.

"Then try breaking it up next time," Ansem told his second-in-command. "It's almost time. All of you out in the main room." One by one, the fourteen young adults left the kitchen. When Zexion passed by his foster parent, a large hand grabbed his ass. He tried not to react - Ansem's favorite pasttime was groping and inappropriately doing as he pleased with his foster kids and seeing if he could get any reaction out of them - and continued walking. Today he was lucky to sit on the arm of the chair Xaldin was already sitting on. The others argued over the couch until Demyx, Marluxia, and Xigbar had no choice but to stand. Roxas pulled Xion onto his lap and held her close. Zexion wished that people would stop babying the seventeen-year-old.

The first three picked tonight were Axel, Marluxia, and Vexen. The closest bedroom to the main room was Vexen's. Vexen was known for experimenting with anything and anyone. Once he had scored five men in one night (three at the same time). Tonight, the sounds of leather snapping on bare skin echoed down the halls, along with vibrations. Marluxia's moans were audible; the man sounded more feminine in bed than Larxene did. No sounds came from Axel's room. It was safe to bet that he had some sort of gag covering his mouth.

The first one out was Vexen. Nobody asked about the welts on his arms. Xemnas checked Vexen's room and collected the money left by the client. Zexion envied Xemnas. The bastard didn't get fucked every night. He collected money and idly stood by, just like he did Zexion's first night. Lexaeus didn't do anything either, but at least Lex actually served a purpose. Being the biggest guy in the house meant he had to make sure clients didn't get too rough on them. If someone started getting violent, Lex went into the bedroom and threw the client out. Zexion actually respected Lex for that.

The fourth man of the night appeared. After looking at his options, he pointed a finger at the couch. "The girl," he grunted. "The one with the darker hair."

Xion's first night and she was already picked. As predicted, she didn't handle this too well. In fact, she cried, "Don't touch me!" and latched onto Roxas. When the man stepped closer, Xion crawled over Saïx's lap and ran to hide behind Lexaeus.

"What's her problem? She new or something?" the pervert asked. Xion let out a whimper.

"First night," Ansem answered. "She knows how to act though." He gritted his teeth and hissed, "Right, Xion?" The girl let out another cry in protest.

"If she's gonna act this way, then I ain't taking this shit," the pig told Ansem. Now everyone could see that he was getting furious with Xion.

_Oh, get over yourself and grow the fuck up_, Zexion thought.

"Alright, alright, I'll let you pick someone else," Ansem said. He motioned for Larxene and Zexion to stand up. The two did. "Larxene's our other girl, and Zexion's pretty damn close to one." The man looked at his two choices. Zexion crossed his fingers behind his back. He knew that if anyone wanted to make up for losing Xion that he looked similar enough to be mistaken as her brother. He hoped this man wasn't smart enough to see the similarity.

"I'll take the boy."

_Fuck._

Larxene was offended. So when she reached over and "accidentally" ripped Zexion's shirt off, he knew she was never going to get over the fact that she was less favorable in the clients' eyes. Now Zexion's torso was revealed. Even worse, his nipples were too, which were pierced (done by Ansem last year after giving Zexion another drugged beverage). Like most clients, this bastard standing before Zexion was attracted to the two rings on his body. The man grabbed Zexion by the waistband of his shorts and dragged him to his bedroom. Zexion was promptly thrown on the bed and the first thing touched and licked was the piercings.

Zexion just stared at the ceiling and hoped this man wouldn't take long.


	4. Chapter 4

_"We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone."_

_~Ronald Reagan_

"God, I swear that Zexion tries to wear shorts and skirts that make him look like he has a giant ass and a huge package," Larxene commented from her bed. "If I didn't know any better, Zexion was a woman in another life. Or a crossdresser."

"If I wanted to receive my own personal commentary from the peanut gallery, I'd ask Marluxia to do it," Zexion told her. "Otherwise, I'd appreciate it if you'd do me the honor of shutting the fuck up."

"Ooh, look at Zexion using big-boy words. Such a nice mouth on a fourteen-year-old slut."

"Fifteen!"

"My bad. Not like anyone's ever cared about you." Larxene shook a bottle of blue nail polish and started painting the fingernails on her right hand. "Ansem, why do you insist on making Zexion the biggest fag in the house?"

Ansem didn't say anything about Larxene's constant insults. "Because Zexion has the body of a twelve-year-old girl who hasn't hit puberty yet, and that attracts customers," he answered. "The best part is that he can wear your old corsets."

"Well tell him that if he wants my respect that he should try to not look like a child porn star."

"Maybe if Larxene wore more clothes when trying to sell her body to clients they'd actually _consider_ possibly selecting her for a trial run," Zexion retorted.

"Oh, look at that, the little porn star bitch made a funny joke. How fucking hilarious!"

"Girls, girls, calm down," Ansem cut them off. Zexion sighed and didn't bother correcting him. It wouldn't change anything.

Zexion's least favorite thing to do was going through Larxene's clothes and choosing (well, technically, Larxene and Ansem choosing) outfits for him to wear. Ansem and his disgusting clients always seemed to go nuts whenever Zexion was in drag. Skirts, shorts, tube tops, even _underwear_. Zexion was honestly surprised he hadn't received crabs or some other STD from Larxene's old lace panties. The other boys in the house seldom felt pity for him. They were all older than him anyway, so they had hit puberty. They had the deeper voices, the built bodies, and some even had facial hair. Zexion was basically a slutty mannequin.

"This is the outfit for tonight!" Ansem cried. "This is perfect!"

_No it's not_," Zexion thought. _It's fucking humiliating_. The "perfect" outfit happened to be a white cropped shirt that revealed the V that led to the denim skirt that barely covered his ass, ripped fishnets, and red heels. Zexion wanted to punch his own reflection. What kind of disgusting man wanted to screw this? He knew the answer: all of them.

"I think we should ask the others for their opinions on this too," Larxene called out, grinning at Zexion. He could've strangled the girl right now.

"Good idea, Larxene," Ansem approved. "Go get them. I want opinions I can trust."

_Here's one - don't take suggestions from Larxene_. Zexion was going to have to get revenge on her. Maybe he'll put food coloring in her shampoo or something like that.

"Hey, fuckfaces! Come look at Zexion in a miniskirt!" Larxene called out. Quickly the other twelve so-called foster siblings had crowded into Larxene's room. Zexion tried hiding his face behind his overgrown bangs so they couldn't see his extremely flushed face.

"Not bad, Zexion," Luxord called out.

"Damn that ass looks good!" Xigbar hollered. Xaldin and Xemnas did a few catcalls. Zexion spotted Larxene whispering something in Marluxia's ear with her evil grin.

"I have a pink cowboy hat that'd go with that entire getup," Marluxia said.

"That'd be great," Ansem said. Marluxia left and returned with the hat. It was plopped on Zexion's head. He wished that lightning would strike him dead right now. "Perfect!"

"I call doing the slut's makeup!" Larxene declared.

"But Larxene, you already do your own makeup every night," Axel snorted. Larxene stuck out her tongue at the redhead.

"So we all agree, he looks good?" Ansem asked the others. Everyone nodded, knowing that disagreeing with Ansem came with consequences.

"I have a better idea," Larxene added.

_Someone shut her the fuck up before she-_

"What if he nothing but a thong!"

Zexion's eyes widened. No. Way. In. _Hell_. Was he ever going to wear a thong. Wearing a thong meant everything was exposed. And by everything, that meant the VI on his rear end. He'd told everyone it was burned on the bottom of his foot - a flat-out lie. If they saw where his mark was, he'd never hear the end of it. The little shred of dignity he had left would be torn to bits.

"That's a good idea!" Marluxia agreed. "I bet Vexen could lend some." The blonde glared at Marluxia.

"I bet you could too," he retorted.

"Actually, I have this zebra print one..."

"_No!_" Zexion cried. He pushed the others out of the way and ran as fast as he could to his room (running in heels was something he'd yet to perfect, despite wearing them for three years now). He slammed door and leaned back against it. Why did Larxene have to suggest wearing a thong? How long until he's forced to do so?

There was a knock on the door. Was it Ansem? Marluxia? Larxene? Xemnas?

"Zexion? It's Demyx. You mind letting me in? I'm all alone." Zexion opened the door slightly and checked. It was just Demyx, no one else. Zexion grabbed Demyx's arm and pulled him inside before slamming the door shut and pushing his nightstand in front of it.

"Enjoy the show?" he asked bitterly.

"I'm sorry that you're always put through that," Demyx said. "I think it's mean."

That was a first. No one ever pitied Zexion for putting up with that bullshit. "Thanks?"

"You're welcome." Demyx said on the bed and motioned for Zexion to sit next to him. "So, is there any reason why you freaked out that bad? Are you embarrassed or something?"

"Um..." Could Zexion tell the truth? Did he trust Demyx enough to tell him about the burnt number on his ass?... Nope. "I just need to have some self-respect. It's treacherous enough that hundreds of strangers pay to see me nude. I don't need everyone else staring at me like they do while I parade around wearing almost nothing, you know?"

Demyx smiled and nodded. "That's really noble of you," he said. He took the ridiculous hat off of Zexion's head and ran his fingers through the slate hair. "I don't know how you deal with them. They seem to get off on making sure that your life sucks so much more than theirs."

"Maybe it's because they're almost in their thirties," Zexion suggested coolly. "That's practically ancient in prostitute years."

Demyx giggled at that. "You're funny, man." Demyx put the cowboy hat back on Zexion's head. "Well, I should probably go. I need to get ready for tonight." He headed toward the door and paused to add, "Just to let you know, I'm on the other side of the wall. You know, if you need someone to talk to." The blonde waved goodbye and exited the room. Zexion stared at the door after Demyx left.

At least someone understood that he was being put through hell.


	5. Chapter 5

_"When you're drowning, you don't say, 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me and come and help me,' you just scream."_

_~John Lennon_

Zexion stayed hidden in his room for the rest of the afternoon. After the hell he'd gone through, he didn't want this day to get any worse. When it was nine, he went into the living room so he could steal a spot on the couch for the night. An hour later, Ansem opened his house to strangers. According to Xemnas, there was a local high school reunion taking place tomorrow, meaning many men who had been recently divorced or were bound to run into old flames needed to take out their feelings on "whores without feelings". Tonight included a wide variety, none of whom were like the others. In fact, everyone had gone at least once within the first two hours of the night, including Xion, who was lucky to have her first official client be a woman, a very rare occurence among Twilight Town's perverts.

Later that night, a large, built man came into Ansem's mansion. The floorboards shook with every step he took. A permanent scowl was on his face. The wife beater and cargo shorts didn't help Zexion calm down and hope that he wasn't the one this man was looking for.

"Well, sir, I hope you enjoy out variety," Ansem said. "Right now, we only have three available: Roxas, Zexion, and Demyx. Pick your pleasure-"

"The one in the middle," the man declared, a fat finger pointed in Zexion's direction. He gulped. Of course he gets the buff guy.

"Excellent choice. Zexion, lead this nice gentleman to your room." There was nothing nice-looking about this man. Zexion wanted to throw off his heels and dash out the front door. But instead, he stood up and led the stranger down the hall. He tried to ignore the hard spank he received walking past the pig.

As soon as Zexion shut the door, he was grabbed by the front of his shirt and tossed onto the bed. The man held Zexion down by laying his forearm across the boy's chest. He wasn't strong enough to shove him off. "Stop squirming, bitch," the pervert grunted. "I ain't paying for you to flail your arms and legs for an hour." The man pressed down harder. Zexion didn't give in to the man's demands.

_Smack!_ The back of his thick hand slapped Zexion across the face. Tears sprung to his eyes.

"Now you listen here, bitch," the pedophile hissed. "I paid extra for bareback, and I don't use lube. You gotta problem with that? Too bad."

No! Zexion wouldn't be able to handle that. He knew it. "No! Stop!" he cried. The man pressed his knee against his crotch. Zexion winced from the pain and struggled to breathe. After ten seconds, he was released. The pervert grabbed his shirt and ripped it off, followed by his skirt. Zexion continued to try fighting until his hands were tied behind his back.

"I ain't fucking around with ya, bitch," the stranger growled.

Zexion started panicking. This was really about to happen. This was going to be a worse experience than his first night. As his underwear were torn off his body, he cried, "Help! Somebody, please, help!" A hand covered his mouth and nose.

"Shut up, whore," the man said. Without any warning, he plunged into Zexion. The boy's screams of pain were muffled by the hand as he started sobbing. He'd be lucky if he would be able to walk ever again after this! He'd need a wheelchair! After trying to hastily come up with a diversion to stop the man, he bit the stranger's hand. Fortunately, he pulled his hand away.

"Lex! Xemnas! Help!" Zexion screamed hoarsely. Once again, his cries were muted by the man's hand.

"I'm tired of fucking around with you!" The man continued raping Zexion until a high-pitched scream was heard. Zexion turned his head to see Xion, gaping in the doorway. She looked absolutely mortified.

"Axel! _Axel!_" she screamed. To Zexion's luck, not only did Axel appear, but Demyx and Lexaeus did too.

"Holy fuck!" Lex exclaimed. He ran up to the man and punched him. Axel helped pull the man out of Zexion and dragged him to the door with Lexaeus. Demyx started untying Zexion, who was still crying. Xion quietly pulled the bed sheet over Zexion to lessen his humiliation. The others slowly gathered in the doorway, observing the scene with wide eyes. When Ansem came and saw what'd happened, he shook his head and told the others to return to their clients. Demyx gave Zexion an apologetic look and left his side.

But not Xion. She lied in the bed and hugged him while he cried into her shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

_"You know it's a bad situation when you feel so terrible you can't make eye contact with someone."_

_~Anonymous_

Zexion hadn't left his room for the next three days. The only time he did was to use the bathroom, until he discovered an empty water bottle under his bed. Ansem tried forcing the young boy out of bed, but Xemnas suggested that Zexion have some time to recover from the traumatic experience. Most of the others didn't dare to go near the slate-haired teen. Axel did, of course. He would sit on the bed silently and rub Zexion's back. Xion made an appearance once a day to give Zexion a hug before running out of the room. Zexion swore at one point that Larxene was purposefully standing outside of his room and loudly throwing out insults. He should've known she'd never let up on anyone.

The first person to actually speak to Zexion was Demyx. On the fourth day, Demyx knocked on the door and entered slowly.

"Hey, buddy," he said. "I hope you're feeling better."

"I can't feel anything anymore," Zexion moaned into his pillow. "How can I feel?"

"I wish I could go back in time and stop that guy from picking you." Demyx sat on the edge of the bed. "Maybe I could've gone instead. I could've volunteered and taken on that guy instead of you."

"I don't need you to remind me that I'm the weakest link. That's Larxene's job."

"Alright, that's it, you're getting up." Demyx tried pulling Zexion out of bed, but the boy fought with all of his strength. After a few moments of getting nowhere, Demyx lost his patience and threw Zexion over his shoulder. The smaller one pounded his fists on the blonde's back as he was carried into one of the many bathrooms in the house. After the door was locked, Zexion was finally released.

"Ansem said that either me or Xemnas had to do this," Demyx said. "I figured that you'd prefer me over him." Zexion didn't say anything. Demyx sighed and slowly started stripping the boy. "You smell awful. You need to bathe." When Demyx's hand went to the waistband on Zexion's shorts, the younger boy jumped back and slapped the intrusive hand away.

"Please," he pleaded, "Don't."

"Zexion, it's okay." Demyx held Zexion's hand. "I won't hurt you. You can trust me." Zexion stared into the ocean eyes. Those beautiful eyes, which promised that they would protect him.

"...Okay."

Demyx smiled sincerely and took Zexion's shorts off. He started the shower and helped Zexion inside. Soon, Demyx decided to take off his shirt and climb inside to help better. Zexion didn't do anything but stand there and let the other's hands roam all over his body. He was rather starting to enjoy it when he felt Demyx's hands pause on his lower back. "Oh my..."

Zexion closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Demyx must've seen the VI on him. He'd forgotten all about that when Demyx started touching him.

"I didn't want anyone to know," he said quietly. "Ansem put it there the day after my twelfth birthday. It's humiliating."

"I understand."

Zexion pricked up his ears at this. How could Demyx possibly understand? He turned around, prepared to chew out the blonde, when he saw his friend starting to pull down his shorts. At first, Zexion was transfixed by Demyx taking off his clothes, until he saw the IX marked on the tan skin, between Demyx's right hip and crotch. Zexion tried imagining how painful that was - much more painful than his. He hesitantly ran his fingers lightly over the mark.

"I had no idea," he said.

"At least mine isn't in a place as revealing as yours," Demyx said. "I feel bad for you." Zexion just stared at the IX, unsure of what else to say. He held his breath when Demyx reached past him to turn off the shower. Demyx's chest brushed up against Zexion's face. Demyx dried himself off with a towel before drying off Zexion as well. Still the boy didn't budge, enjoying the feeling of the blonde's hands.

* * *

Zexion sat on his bed, a towel still wrapped around his waist, staring off into space. He'd been like this for the past two hours, ever since Demyx sat him down and said goodbye.

Something inside of him felt wrong. His chest felt unusually warm while the rest of him felt cold from the lack of Demyx touching him. He had to keep the corners of his mouth from curling up. Smiling was something he'd stopped years ago. Why was it now that he was forcing himself not to? What was this feeling? It seemed unnatural yet natural all at once. He could laugh or cry. All he wanted was to run out of this room and get back in that shower with Demyx. All he could even think about was that shower.

Zexion looked at his towel and saw that he'd grown hard.

He couldn't believe it. This was the first time he'd ever had _that_ happen to him. How did this happen? Oh, yeah, thinking of Demyx. But that was impossible! How could thinking of Demyx create this sort of reaction?

Was it... no, it couldn't be. Zexion couldn't feel _love_. He couldn't feel anything. In fact, none of the others could feel anything. The emotion had been drained out of them the moment they were forced into prostitution. It wasn't possible for him to feel again... Or was it?

Zexion decided to get dressed and ignore his feelings - after taking problem he had down there.


	7. Chapter 7

_"Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else."_

_~Epictetus_

Tonight, Ansem had different plans. "I've come to the conclusion after meeting with... 'colleagues' about how to earn more munny around here," he said. Zexion supressed a snort. Colleagues his ass. "I've decided that we're going to send our youngest ones out on the street to broaden our variety of clients." Of course, he'd risk losing the ones who could barely defend themselves. Then again, someone in their teens was better than one who was in their mid- to late-twenties. "So anyone younger than and including Axel are the ones I've chosen. I expect to see you back before sunrise. And I _will_ search every square inch of you if I believe you're holding out on me." The look Ansem gave Zexion sent chills down his spine. He had the feeling he'd be searched no matter if he gave Ansem every coin in his pocket. "Now go. I'll see you later. The rest of you get ready for the clients tonight."

Axel, Demyx, Roxas, Xion, and Zexion chose a corner not too far from the woods leading to Ansem's mansion and tried to make themselves seem presentable. They knew that not having any munny to give him wouldn't make their current situation any more pleasant. Many people passed by without much of a second glance within the first hour. Axel had been able to find a man willing to pay one hundred munnies and half a pack of cigarettes for a blowjob in the alley. Axel offered them to the others. Roxas shared one with Axel, the two taking hard drags from time to time.

"Who the hell are you?" The five turned to see who was talking to them. They saw an angry boy with long silver hair glaring at them. Behind him stood a boy with brown hair that stuck out in various directions, a shy-looking blonde girl, and another girl whose red hair was unlike any other color Zexion had seen before.

"Again, who the hell are you?" the silver-hair boy asked again.

"Well, who the hell are _you_?" Axel countered as he stubbed out the cigarette in his hand.

"I'm Riku. And you are...?"

"The name's Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" He held out his hand to Riku, who just slapped it away.

"This is our corner," Riku said. "We've been here for almost eighteen months, and we're not gonna lose our corner to some newbies."

"Newbies?" Axel scoffed. "Boy, I've been in this business for seven years. Got it memorized? Seven. How old are you, thirteen?"

"I'm eighteen! And my friends and I barely get by doing what we do. So we're not giving up our place." Riku leaned toward Axel, their faces inches apart. "Got it memorized?"

"Maybe we should go," Xion suggested, her eyes widening. "Ansem'll kill us if we get into a fight."

"Whoa, wait, did she just say Ansem?" the brunette asked.

"Yes."

"Shit!" Riku jumped away from Axel. "Man, we had no idea. Fuck it, you can stand here too if you want. We won't get in your way or anything."

"I feel sorry for you guys," the blonde said. "I'd hate being under Ansem's rule. I'm Naminé, by the way." She pointed to the other boy and girl. "That's Kairi and Sora."

"So you guys are...?" Roxas asked.

"Prostitutes?" Naminé nodded. "We have no choice. No one wants to hire a bunch of kids to do their jobs. We're lucky we aren't like you guys."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Axel demanded, catching the end of the conversation.

"Well, we aren't gagged and bound and forced into orgies like you all are," Sora explained. "Out here, people actually treat as humans rather than pieces of ass. They won't do things we aren't comfortable with, or try pushing us to our limits. Rather, we get to pick who we want rather than them choosing us. We're kind of more free in a sense."

Zexion absorbed every word Sora said. What they were describing sounded like heaven. He envied the freedom that Sora and the others had. He had the urge to run away from everything. To never go back to Ansem's mansion and get fucked in every place possible by complete strangers. To never wear Larxene's clothes again or hear another insult from the older ones. What a dream that would be. But he knew he was in too deep. There was no way he could break free from Ansem without possibly dying.

"First customer," Riku announced as a car pulled up. The window rolled down and the man inside looked at his choices before choosing Sora.

"See you guys later," the brunette said as he climbed into the car.

Zexion enjoyed his first taste of freedom. It was sweeter than anything he'd ever experienced before.


	8. Chapter 8

_"Every bad situation will have something positive. Even a dead clock shows the right time twice a day."_

_~Anonymous_

"You two."

Zexion looked up to see a car with a pale man inside. After a week of working corners, Zexion had already grown bored of it. In fact, it wasn't much better than being at Ansem's home. Competing with the others proved to be harder. It soon turned into a competition between Axel and Kairi every night, while the others stood back and waited patiently for their turn. A few times Ansem decided that Zexion had been "holding out" and proceeded to molest him for an hour before saying he'd guessed wrong. Now he wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to be back in the mansion.

"Who?" Axel asked the man in the car. "Me and Roxie here?" He put Roxas in a headlock.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" the blonde whined.

"No, the boys next to you," the stranger said. He pointed at Zexion and Demyx. "Those two."

"Us?" Demyx asked.

"Did I stutter? Get in the backseat." The two got inside the car and waved goodbye as they were driven off. Zexion was confused. Why did the man decide to pick two of them? Hell, usually customers picked one or none. This was weird to the young boy. He snuck a glance at Demyx, who stared straight ahead.

Soon they arrived at a motel. The stranger made them exit the car and led them to a room on the upper level. Once inside, Zexion could get a better look at him. Black hair, gold eyes, an icy complexion. This mystery man pulled a bottle of alcohol from his mini fridge and poured himself a glass. He took a sip and smiled at the boys.

"I bet you two are wondering what you're doing here?" he said. Zexion and Demyx stayed quiet. "Oh, that's right, how rude of me. My name is Vanitas. And you are...?"

"Demyx."

"Zexion."

"Well, Demyx and Zexion, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I have recently started suffering from an erectile dysfunction. Therefore, I can't get it up that easily. The only way I can is through porn... which my boyfriend has found out about and refuses to let me watch." He pointed at the duo. "That's where you come in. Now, since my boyfriend has gone off out of town, I could just jackoff to some porn, right? Nope. I made the mistake of getting a joint account. So I thought, 'Hey, live-action porn might work too, huh?' and found you two on the corner."

Zexion's eyes nearly popped out of his head. This man couldn't possibly mean...?

"Let me get this straight," Demyx said. "What you're asking is for us to... have sex while you masturbate?"

"I've always thought prostitutes were brighter than the average person," Vanitas replied with a chuckle. "If you guys need, I have things set out on the table for you to use. Take your time."

Zexion gulped. "Sir, I'm not sure if I'm entirely comfortable..."

"I'm willing to pay you two thousand munnies. _Each_." Vanitas held up a sack and shook it to prove how serious he was.

"That's more than we make in a week," Demyx hissed. "Do you know how happy Ansem will be? He'll probably give us a night off with that kind of munny!"

"But Demyx..." Zexion was speechless. Was he really willing to sleep with Demyx for two thousand munnies? He wasn't that big of a slut. This was more of a task Axel would be more than willing to do.

"It's okay," Demyx said, "I won't hurt you."

_"Zexion, it's okay." Demyx held Zexion's hand. "I won't hurt you. You can trust me." Zexion stared into the ocean eyes. Those beautiful eyes, which promised that they would protect him._

As Zexion remembered that moment, he remembered that he could trust the tall blonde standing in front of him.

"Okay," he whispered, staring at his feet. Oh dear god, what was he getting himself into?

"What exactly do you want us to do?" Demyx asked the third party in the room.

Vanitas thought about it for a minute. "Stand next to each other," he ordered. The two boys did. "Yeah, I want the blonde on top. And I don't really expect anything fancy out of you. Definitely kissing. Groping, maybe. Whatever leads to the two of you getting it on and me getting off." Vanitas sat on the dirty chair on the far side of the room. "Whenever you're ready. Just pretend that I'm not here and you're all alone in the room."

Zexion gulped. Despite being fucked night after night for over three years, not once had he been kissed. He felt so pathetic. Fifteen and unkissed. What would Demyx think?

"What's wrong?" Demyx asked, sensing his distress.

"N-nothing," Zexion said quietly. "I just, um... I've never really kissed anyone before."

"That's it? Zexion, it's nothing."

"But I don't know how-"

"Listen, try not to use your head, okay? Just do what your body wants you to do. It's a no-brainer - literally." Demyx chuckled lightly at his own corny joke. Zexion licked his lips and nodded.

"I don't have all night boys," Vanitas called out. "I have to be checked out by eleven in the morning."

"Okay, just give us-!" Zexion was cut off by Demyx's lips crashing against his. Zexion's eyes widened from the surprise kiss, and they gradually fluttered shut as the kiss continued. Demyx's arms wrapped around his waist and Zexion put his behind Demyx's head as the kiss deepened. Demyx's tongue swiped along the younger boy's lips before making its way into his mouth. Zexion was confused at first by the tongue until he used his own too. It felt so _right_. Zexion jumped up into Demyx's arms, his legs locked around the blonde's waist while the other's hands grabbed his ass. Zexion moaned loudly into Demyx. Soon he was pushed back onto the bed, Demyx hovering over him so he didn't crush the smaller boy. In the distance, Vanitas started grunting, but his sounds were barely audible to the boys.

Demyx lifted up Zexion and broke away the kiss to pull the shirts off. Zexion kicked off his heels and scooted further up the bed. Demyx slowly slid off the slatenette's fishnets and skirt, admiring the exposed milky flesh as he did. Zexion could see the slight confusion in Demyx's eyes. They were both forced ukes. This was the first time Demyx had been a seme. However, he looked back Zexion and all confusion dissolved. Demyx slowly played with the elastic of Zexion's (previously Larxene's) underwear before taking it off of him. Zexion blushed slightly. Here he was, completely exposed, with Demyx still half-dressed. Demyx then took off the rest of his clothes. Zexion didn't know where to look, so he stared at the IX on Demyx's hip.

"I, uh..." Demyx bit his lip before reaching over Zexion to grab a condom and lube. He covered his fingers with the lube and pressed one against Zexion's entrance. The slatenette took a deep breath as he felt the finger go inside him. This felt different from other times. Rather than feel painful, it felt like pure heaven. Zexion let out a moan, while Demyx took as a good sign before adding a second finger, scissoring them as he slid them in and out of Zexion. After using a third to stretch him out more, Demyx reached for the condom. Zexion quickly grabbed it and used his teeth to rip open the foil. He slid the condom on Demyx, whose eyes rolled to the back of his head from Zexion's touch. The younger one rubbed lube on Demyx before laying back. Demyx took one of Zexion's legs and moved it over his shoulder as he positioned himself over the boy.

"This might hurt a bit," Demyx confessed. "But I'm gonna try not to make this an unpleasent experience for you." Zexion nodded and bit his lip. He held his eyes shut as he felt Demyx push inside him. A tear slid down his cheek and Demyx stopped moving.

"I-it's okay," Zexion said with uncertainty. "Keep going." Demyx nodded and thrust at a steady pace. Just as he'd said, there was pain, but the pain melted away quickly as euphoria replaced it. He leaned in to Demyx and began kissing him ferociously. The blonde kissed Zexion back with the same amount of force. The two were so lost in each other that they couldn't hear the sound of Vanitas in the corner pleasuring himself to the two boys having sex.

Much sooner than Zexion wanted, Demyx came inside him. Zexion came as well, and as Demyx fell on top of him and slid out of him, he could feel something sticky on him. This was something Zexion had never experienced before - an orgasm. This was the feeling people had while they were plowing him nonstop? Zexion hadn't realized how exhilarating the feeling was until now.

"That was beautiful, boys," Vanitas said from the chair. "Great, really. I never thought I could possibly get that hard from watching you guys." He disappeared into the bathroom momentarily before returning with a wet rag. "Use this to clean yourselves up. I'll give you both five hundred more munnies before bringing you back to your corner." He gave the rag to Demyx and left the apartment to smoke.

"Wow," Demyx breathed. "That was..."

"Yeah," Zexion agreed. He watched as Demyx cleaned himself off, then as the blonde wiped the rag across his body. Zexion wanted to relive that experience over and over again for the rest of his life. This was what he'd been missing out in life. It was almost enough to make him smile again.

"Twenty-five hundred munnies," Demyx said with a laugh. "Ansem better give us the rest of our lives off."

"I wish," Zexion murmured. He reached over and picked up his and Demyx's clothes. The two boys turned their backs to each other as they redressed.

"That was fun, huh?"

"Yeah. We should do it again sometime." Zexion regretted saying that as soon as the words slipped from his mouth. It was too late now. He couldn't put toothpaste back in the tube. His sentence was out in the open. His face turned many shades of red and he continued dressing himself, praying Demyx hadn't heard.

"You know what? That sounds great," Demyx replied. The blonde crawled across the bed and hugged Zexion from behind. He rested his head on his shoulder and whispered, "I told you I'd never hurt you." He kissed Zexion's neck and let go as Vanitas reentered the room.

"Let's go," he said. "You want me to bring you back to your friends?" Demyx nodded and took Zexion's hand as they walked out the door. Zexion was in such a daze he could barely register that he was walking. All that existed was himself and Demyx.

It was official: Zexion was in love with Demyx.


	9. Chapter 9

_"Once you've lost your privacy, you realize you've lost an extremely valuable thing."_

_~Billy Graham_

Demyx was right. Ansem had been beyond impressed with Demyx and Zexion that he was willing to let the two have the following night off. He'd announced this in front of the others, making the older ones, namely Larxene, envy the two younger members. Before any of them could ask questions, the two boys had locked themselves in their separate rooms and turned in for the morning (the only time when someone wasn't up their asses - literally and figuratively). Zexion had been so phased by having sex with Demyx that he found his hand sneaking into his pants at one point while thinking about it.

The next morning, Zexion walked into his least favorite activity: weekly story time. It was something started by Axel, who loved bragging about the type of things he did in bed. The others, all of whom were nearly as competitive, tried to outdo him through their stories of what most people wouldn't share. Zexion thought that the invasion of his personal life was completely unneccessary and tried to refrain from giving out any information. Usually they grew bored trying to pry information out of him and haven't tried to in the past twenty months.

"So, there was this one trick who wanted to finger me while he was fucking me," Larxene shared, not being the least bit courteous with her language. Zexion tried his hardest not to listen to her as he ate a sandwich quietly. "And then I asked, 'which hole are you fingering me in?' The dumb shit was so confused that he decided to fuck _and_ finger both of them." Zexion's appetite died and combusted into flames. He dropped his sandwich and pushed it away. Axel reached over and snatched it up, taking a large chomp of it.

"That's nothing," Axel said, his mouth full of food. "And Vexen, get jealous, because I was in _six_-way."

"No fucking way!" Vexen cried. "How the hell does the work?"

"One guy in the back, one in my mouth, one on my dick, and the other two were being jacked off at the same time. I was multitasking so much it'd hurt all of your head to even attempt taking on three of them."

"Fuck this, Axel wins this week," Luxord announced. "He's the biggest slut of us all."

"I appreciate the title," Axel replied with a grin.

"So that's what the life of the streets is like," Xigbar said. "Did you guys have to fight off any other whores?"

"We share a corner with a group of others," Roxas spoke up. "There's one girl who constantly competes with Axel, this little girl with auburn hair whose Zexion's age. And Axel usually loses." The others burst out laughing.

"That's it, Axel's no longer the biggest slut," Luxord said.

"You know, speaking of Zexion..." Xaldin began.

"I bet his life has been just as interesting on the streets," Saïx concluded. Soon the older members had surrounded Zexion, who twiddled his thumbs and remained silent.

"Do you have some juicy details to share with us, Zexion?" Marluxia asked. Zexion knew what kind of game they were trying to play, and he wasn't falling for it. Letting down his guard for even a millisecond would be the end of him. He shook his head and kept his mouth shut.

"Something tells me this is gonna be fruitless," Xigbar noted. Zexion refrained from expressing how ironic it was that Xigbar was the first one to figure out what the slatenette was doing.

"Of course," Larxene groaned. "Damn stubborn bitch. I bet he's hiding something good."

"Well, let's not forget that he's not the only one out there," Saïx said. He cornered Xion, who cowered from the blue-haired beast. The others caught on and seized Axel and Roxas. Zexion sat in his chair and hoped that Xion would finally grow a pair and stand up to Saïx.

"Leave her alone!" Roxas cried as he struggled wrestling from Xemnas and Marluxia's grasp.

"Tell us what you know, Xion," Saïx said. He ran the back of his hand across her cheek lightly, before moving it further down. When his fingers reached her waist and squeezed her, the claws he called nails digging into her skin, everyone knew she would crack.

"Zexion and Demyx got into a car and left with the same man together!" Xion screamed. She collapsed and dissolved into tears. Axel and Roxas were released. The two went right to their friend's side. The others turned and didn't face Zexion, but rather Demyx instead, who had just entered the room after waking up. The blonde looked around the room in confusion.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Get him!" Xemnas exclaimed. Luxord, Marluxia, Vexen, and Xaldin each grabbed an arm or leg and held Demyx in the air. The blonde tried to free himself but wasn't nearly as strong as the others.

"What happened with you and Zexion last night?" the white-haired second-in-command asked in a low voice. "And don't think we won't force and answer out of you."

"I-I have no idea what you're talking about," Demyx said.

"Fine then, I tried being nice. Xig?" Xigbar grinned and made his way to the blonde. He ran his hands over Demyx's stomach before quickly dipping them into his pants, grabbing and touching everything the older man desired.

"You think molesting me will get an answer out of me?" Demyx scoffed. "Nice try, but that's not gonna work."

"Now you're just asking for this. Larxene?" The blonde girl giggled before snatching up Zexion, who'd just been sitting there peacefully and observing.

"Hey there, Zexy," the demon girl snickered. "How's it going?" Zexion continued to remain speechless.

"Don't touch him!" Demyx cried. He tried pulling free from the four men holding him.

"I have a feeling that there's something Zexy is hiding from us," Larxene continued, ignoring the other blonde entirely. "I wonder what'll happen if I just..." She started tugging at the waistband of Zexion's sweats. Zexion shoved her off and tried breaking free, but he crashed into Xemnas, who held the boy's arms behind him. "Thanks, Xem. Now I know whatever Zexy is keeping secretive is gonna be great-"

"Stop! Don't touch him! I'll tell you!" Demyx shouted. Larxene paused and all eyes locked on Demyx (including Axel, Roxas, and Xion, all of whom didn't know what'd exactly happened between the two boys and were just as curious as the others). "Zexion and I... the guy who picked us up... he paid... to watch us... together." He was released, crashing onto the kitchen floor. Xemnas laughed and tossed Zexion on top of the other.

"Isn't that cute," he sneered. "No wonder you tried protecting him." The elders started laughing at Demyx and Zexion. The latter turned bright red and dashed out of the room, despite Demyx calling out to him and trying to apologize for his actions. Zexion was too humiliated to face anyone at this point. Almost all of his dignity had been torn to shreds at this point. He really fucking hated his life right now.


	10. Chapter 10

_"Our passion is our strength."_

_~Billie Joe Armstrong_

Zexion had forgiven Demyx. He couldn't really blame the blonde for coming clean. They all would've found out one way or another. Was it any of their business? Of course not. But they were a bunch of nosy pricks, and they tried to keep everyone from having any amount of privacy in their lives. Hell, they all shared clothes and showers. Why should he have expected them to leave him alone? He knew they'd try prying the information from him one way or another. Now whenever he and Demyx were in the same room, everyone started doing catcalls and being as crude as humanly possible. Zexion just wanted to die from the constant humiliation.

"At least tonight is nicer than other nights," Demyx noted as they stood on their usual corner. They were taking part in their new favorite pasttime: watching Kairi and Axel fight for customers. Like always, Kairi won over the pervert and gleefully climbed into the car, making faces at the redhead as she was driven away. Axel kicked a rock on the sidewalk and groaned, murmuring about why he'd rather be with men than women.

"It is," Zexion agreed. "It's cool and not too humid either. The perfect weather to stand around in barely any clothing."

Demyx giggled. "Better than it being winter when we do this. Imagine what'd happen if it was snowing while we were out here." Zexion thought about it and shivered. Demyx wrapped an arm around the smaller boy and hugged him close. Zexion wasn't one for public displays of affection - or any form of affection for that matter - but Demyx was unusually warm.

"Here comes someone else!" Axel announced to the others. They all tried making themselves look presentable. The man who pulled up glanced at them all before picking Roxas. Axel scowled. "Am I that unfuckable to the rest of the world?" he whined.

"There's a shock," Riku muttered.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"Hey, Zexion, let's get out of here," Demyx whispered in Zexion's ear. The two slowly backed into the alley before turning around and dashing through it, coming up on the other side free to roam on their own.

Zexion was immediately overwhelmed. There wasn't the gloomy buildings and shady people he'd started growing used to. Instead there were people dressed in nicer clothing talking and laughing and seemingly enjoying themselves. The lights of the city made everything glow.

"I've never seen the city before," Demyx said, smiling as he inhaled the sweet scents of nearby stores. "It's beautiful."

"It's better than I remember," Zexion agreed. He was seven the last time he was in the city, visiting family from another town. He recalled walking through the streets with his parents while eating sea-salt ice cream and talking to the friendly citizens. The nearby clock tower struck eleven. Many people were walking around during this time, enjoying the night as well.

"Gosh, I wish we didn't live in the woods," Demyx sighed. "The city is so... alive!" He quickly looked to the left, his eyes lit up. "Look Zexion!" He grabbed the younger boy's hand and jerked him toward a man sitting on the sidewalk with a large sitar, playing a quiet melody. It was quite unlike anything Zexion had heard before.

"Evening, boys," the sitar player greeted the duo. "What can I do you for?"

"I was just admiring your instrument," Demyx answered in a dreamy tone. "I used to play way back when, and hearing you just made me remember so many good times!" Zexion's visible eye widened. He never suspected that Demyx was a musician. That'd explain the afternoons where the blonde would lie around humming random tunes to himself.

"Would you like a go at it?" the musician offered, holding out his sitar.

Demyx gasped in an almost comical fashion. "Really?"

"Sure, why not? Play a song or two." Demyx hesitated before taking the sitar and running his fingertips across the strings. After a moment of caressing the instrument, the blonde finally started strumming it, playing a song unfamiliar to either of the two boys next to him. Zexion could figure out what kind of song Demyx was playing. It made him feel sorrow yet joy from the sounds. It was mesmerizing. After a few moments, other people clustered around, tapping their feet and bobbing their heads. A group of small children danced around. Many observers put munny in a sitar case lying on the ground. When Demyx finished, he received applause from everyone. None of them clapped harder than Zexion.

"Sir, you've made me more munny in a song than I do in a month!" the musician cried as he counted his earnings. "Please, you must take some!"

"No, thank you," Demyx declined politely.

"But I insist!"

"I know you want me to, but you need this more than I do. Trust me, I'll be fine, but thank you for letting me play!" Demyx smiled and waved goodbye before taking Zexion's hand and leading them back to their corner. Demyx continued gushing about the sitar and music while Zexion nodded and listened.

After hearing Demyx playing sitar, every little thing after that made him fall in love with the blonde even more than he already was.


	11. Chapter 11

_"Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary."_

_~Mark Twain_

Zexion should've known that Ansem would've caught on after some time. He entered the kitchen the next week with his eyes locked on the youngest member of the house.

"I've heard some... rumors," Ansem said. The entire room silenced. Rarely did Ansem speak to them during the daytime. Whenever he did, it meant someone was in trouble.

"Zexion? Would you like to share anything?" Ansem asked. The slatenette knew he was screwed either way, so he just kept his mouth shut. The tension in the room grew with the amount of anger in Ansem's eyes.

"Tell me," he growled. He crossed the room and picked up Zexion by the back of his shirt. Zexion struggled to breathe with the fabric tightening around the front of his neck. He squirmed violently as he was carried into the main room. He was thrown onto the couch and straddled by the much older man.

"This isn't going to make your life any easier." Zexion realized that as he felt something stiff pressing into him.

"What are these so-called rumors that seem to be troubling you?" he asked calmly.

"I heard that you have been having relations with your foster siblings. Is this true?"

"If you're asking whether or not I had sex with Demyx, yes, I have, to satisfy a client. We were offered twenty-five hundred munnies for it, and therefore it was a situation that was hard to turn down. Is that a problem?" Zexion had surprised himself. Rarely did he talk back to anyone, especially Ansem. However, Ansem climbed off of him and smirked.

"That's not a problem."

"Excuse me, but how is that now a problem?" Xemnas answered from the doorway. The others were all standing around him.

"Because it's a solution," Ansem answered. "In fact, I've talked to Vanitas. He says he has suggested me to clients who have the same issues as him. Therefore, you and Demyx are now a pair."

"A what?" Demyx asked.

"I'm going to start advertising the two of you together. Anyone who can't really do much themselves will be able to watch the two of your instead." Ansem ran his fingers over Zexion's cheek. "I know I'd pay." With that, he retired to the master bedroom. Zexion closed his eyes and tried to avoid meeting the eyes of the others, especially Demyx. As much as he wanted to enjoy spending more time with the blonde, this wasn't the way he wanted to do it.

* * *

Zexion tried his hardest not to cry. He was beyond humiliated. It didn't help that Ansem made _everyone_ stay at the mansion tonight. Larxene added to the humiliation, like always, by suggesting that he and Demyx shared the chair so everyone knew who they were. Now Zexion was currently trying not to crush Demyx's legs.

"Aren't you two so precious," Marluxia sneered at the boys. "We should take a picture to hang up in the kitchen of the two of you." Zexion kept his mouth shut and stared at the floor as Demyx's fingers ran through his slate hair. Soon, a man came in whose eyes were locked on the duo.

"They the ones Van was talking 'bout?" he asked Ansem.

"Sure are," Ansem replied. "Demyx? Zexion? Go to Demyx's room, and don't disappoint me." Zexion stood up and followed the stranger and Demyx into the latter's bedroom. Once in there, the man pulled up a chair and motioned for the two boys to start.

"I ain't paying good munny to watch some amateur show," he grunted. "I know you guys have other toys. I want the small one handcuffed."

"E-excuse me?" Zexion asked, his voice shaky. What kind of sick bastard was this man?

"I want your hands bound behind your back. Oh, and have him blindfolded and gagged too. C'mon, I'm trying to enjoy a show here!" Demyx nodded and reached into the nightstand drawer. He pulled out a tie and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Zexion," he whispered before covering Zexion's eyes. The younger boy was frightened, unsure of how to feel about this. Soon a gentle kiss was placed on his lips before some kind of cloth was stuck in his mouth.

"Oh, yeah, this is getting hot," he heard the stranger moaning. "C'mon, take it all off of him!" Zexion felt powerless as he was stripped by Demyx. Once in a while, a kiss was placed on his shoulder or chest, making him shudder. His hands were brought behind his back and handcuffed together. He fell face-first into the mattress as the remaining clothes on him were pulled off. When Demyx finally entered him, it was different from before. What was once sweet and gentle was more rough and less romantic. It seemed to be a one-sided enjoyment. Zexion bit down on his gag and tried to block out the sounds of skin slapping together and the stranger moaning. He felt relief when Demyx finally came and pulled out.

"That was a quality show, boys," the man said. "I'll be seeing y'all later." Zexion remained still as Demyx took off the cuffs and tie and pulled the gag - a white rag - out of the younger boy's mouth.

"Zexion?" Demyx asked. "Are you okay?" He gulped when he didn't receive an answer. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't want to do it either."

That was it for Zexion. He started crying. He curled up into a fetal position and let the tears flow freely. Demyx tried touching his arm, but he was slapped away. Zexion just wanted to be alone now.


	12. Chapter 12

_"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."_

_~Norman Cousins_

Once again, Zexion forgave Demyx for his behavior. It wasn't his fault. He wasn't the sick fuck who wanted that to happen. For the rest of the night, the two boys weren't picked, and Zexion went to sleep feeling a little more grateful. This was the side of Demyx he was glad he couldn't visually see. It was a side he also hoped to never see again.

That night, Ansem decided to change his mind. "I want the youngsters here tonight," he decided as the sun set. "Anyone older than Axel is going to the streets. Maybe the experience will pique interest among the perverts who don't know who I am. Make sure to get the word out."

The only good thing about being stuck back at the mansion was that there was a seat for everyone. Xion relaxed on the chair. Axel, Demyx, and Zexion each sat on the couch. Roxas had the misfortune of being pulled onto Axel's lap. (Not because there wasn't room for him, but because Axel seized the blond before he had a chance to sit elsewhere.) Business at Ansem's mansion was much slower than usual, something that didn't seem to sit well with the man.

"Where the hell are my clients?" he growled. "Goddamnit, I thought keeping in the younger faces would bring them here!"

"Relax, they'll come in time," Xemnas assured.

_I hope not_, Zexion thought to himself. He started dozing off with the lack of clients. He wasn't usually this bored to the point where he was sleepy. If he had been before, he would've known the consequences beforehand. He was startled awake by Ansem.

"What are you doing, sleeping on the job?" he demanded. "You don't get paid to sleep on the couch!" Zexion just stared, not knowing what to do to not anger Ansem. Apparently, silence was one of them. "I'm tired of your little smart-ass silence." Zexion was slapped across the face before thrown onto the floor.

"Ansem!" Larxene cried as she burst through the front door. For once, Zexion wanted her to be present. Her random appearance had stopped the previous situation from possibly worsening.

"Larxene, what the hell are you doing here?" Ansem barked.

"It's Xaldin. Some other pimp, they got real angry with him, and... it's really bad!"

Ansem paled. "I understand." He turned to Lexaeus. "You are to watch over them while Xemnas and I investigate," he instructed. Ansem and Xemnas left with Larxene. The others were all confused. What happened to Xaldin on the streets?

"I think you should retire to your bedrooms," Lexaeus said. "I'll stand guard and make sure no one gets to you guys."

"Can we stay in each other's rooms?" Roxas asked. Axel raised an eyebrow suggestively. The blond paled before adding, "You know, just to be safe?"

"I don't see why not." The five youngsters nodded. Axel ushered Roxas and Xion into his room. Demyx went to his room to grab a change of clothes first before going into the slatenette's bedroom. He came back and sat on Zexion's bed.

"I just realized that our rooms are right next to each other," he said. "Guess you learn something new every day, huh?"

"Yeah," Zexion answered quietly. He hugged his knees to his chest and stared at the bedsheet.

"Aw, Zexy, you're worried about Xaldin, aren't you?" Demyx crawled beside his friend and hugged him tight. "I'm worried too. I mean, if something happens to him, something could happen to any of us! And I wouldn't want something bad to happen to any of us. Especially you."

Zexion felt his face flush. "I don't want anything to happen to you either, Demyx."

"Let's just go to sleep and try to forget about all of this craziness." Demyx lied down and pulled Zexion on him, resting the younger boy's head on his chest. He leaned down and kissed Zexion's forehead. "I'm glad I have you," he whispered, his arms wrapped around Zexion.

Zexion waited until Demyx was asleep before whispering, "Me too."


	13. Chapter 13

_"I choose not to think of my life as surviving, but coping."_

_~Lorna Luft_

"Xaldin is dead."

Those three words changed the life of those in the mansion. Ever since then, Ansem had become more stoic and strict. After that night, none of them were allowed outside, and no one was allowed in. Their entire days were scheduled, even their bathroom time. A buddy system was enacted, minus whenever they went to sleep. They had to even bathe in pairs, which Roxas despised when he was paired with Axel. It was as if their entire lives were being mapped out.

Zexion never thought he could hate living with Ansem more than he already had.

One night, while Zexion returned from his shower - which he shared with Xion. Not that he minded the little girl, since she was just as quiet as he was, and had the same courtesy as himself to keep their eyes from each other's bodies - he heard banging from inside his closet. Just as he opened the door to see what was going on, he was surprised by a baseball bat going through the side wall. He looked over to see Demyx knocking over the drywall between their closets.

"Demyx, what the hell are you doing?" Zexion hissed.

"I can't stand it," Demyx answered. "I hate being forced to do what Ansem wants. I mean, I understand not leaving the house, but if I have to go through another shower with Xigbar molesting the hell out of me, I'm going to scream." He climbed through the large hole in the wall to stand in Zexion's room. "Plus, I wanted to always have a way to be with you."

"Demyx..." Zexion pulled the blonde out of the closet and shut the door. "Where did you get a baseball bat from anyway?"

"You'd be surprised what Vexen has in his room."

The slatenette didn't want to know anything else.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asked.

"I was thinking, I dunno, we could talk," Demyx suggested. He sat on the bed and crossed his legs. He pat the space next to him. Zexion sat down reluctantly.

"Talk about what?"

"Anything. Like, I barely know who you are, and I've lived here for years. All I know is that you're younger than me and that you're quiet." Demyx paused for a minute. "Wait, when I came here, Ansem said you were too young to do anything yet." He gulped. "How old _are_ you?"

Zexion took a deep breath before answering, "Fifteen."

The blonde gasped. He almost seemed disgusted. "But, but you're just a kid! Sheesh, you make Xion seem so much more mature than you. Well, I didn't mean that you weren't mature, but holy fuck, you're just fifteen? And me, I'm almost twenty. That's, like, rape." Demyx took Zexion's hand. "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have let those men make me sleep with you if I'd known."

"Does it matter?" Zexion snorted bitterly. "I've been doing this since my twelfth birthday. You're the youngest person I've slept with by a longshot. It didn't make much of a difference to me. Trust me, my worst experience happened the day after that birthday."

"The day after your birthday?"

"Yeah. That day, everyone showed me their numbers and promised that it would all be fine. Then Ansem took me upstairs, and he drugged me. I woke up naked with the number VI burned into my backside. Never had I felt more humiliated in my life." He let a tear roll down his cheek. "Never have I felt more useless." Demyx wiped away the tear with his thumb.

"Shh, don't cry," he said soothingly. "It's not your fault. He did that to us all. He gave us new names and branded us."

"I remember," Zexion whispered. "He told me that my new name would be Zexion. After that, he stopped seeming nice."

Demyx nodded. The two boys were quiet for a minute before the blonde asked, "What was your name before?"

The younger's eyes widened. "M-my name?"

"Mmhm, your real name. What is it."

"It's... Ienzo." Saying his actual name seemed foreign. When was the last time he'd heard anyone, even himself, say his name? It didn't feel like his name anymore.

"Ienzo," Demyx repeated. "I like it. I don't hate Zexion, but I like Ienzo too." Zexion blushed. "Well, my name used to be Myde," the blonde continued.

"That's a pretty name," Zexion blurted. He covered his mouth with his hand. Did he really just say that out loud?

"You really think so?"

Oh, well at least that didn't go horribly wrong. "Definitely." Zexion twiddled his thumbs for a minute. "You know," he said, "I think that over the years of... well, you know, that I'm okay with who I am. I've learned a lot, matured, and I've met some great people too." He smiled from behind his long slate bangs.

"I wish I could feel like that," Demyx said. "I don't even recognize myself anymore." Zexion didn't know what to say in response, so he just nodded and rubbed his thumb over the back of Demyx's hand.


	14. Chapter 14

_"Running away will never make you free."_

_~Kenny Loggins_

It took two months for Ansem to let clients come back into his home. Zexion turned sixteen on the day he was allowed outside again. Ansem grew comfortable enough to release the younger five. It was possible anyone older than Axel would never see the outside world ever again. Zexion was glad to breathe in the fresh air again. He even had to admit that he even missed seeing Riku and the others when working corners.

Tonight, a large crowd had come by. Even Axel was picked over Kairi, his first victory out of the hundred battles. Tonight, Zexion was alone with the auburn-hair girl.

"I don't think I've been out here without either Riku or Sora by my side," Kairi said out of the blue. "It's so weird. Makes me feel sort of lonely, you know?" Zexion nodded. He might've missed her, but he didn't know her well enough to actually want to speak to her. Yet, he didn't want to seem rude.

"You're wearing more clothes than usual," he observed aloud. It was much more obvious that something had changed about her. While she usually pranced around in what could be considered underwear, tonight she wore a tank top and short lavender skirt.

"Oh, you noticed," Kairi said quietly, running her fingers through her short hair. "I thought that tonight I'd try something different, you know?" She scanned her eyes over the slatenette. "Why do you always wear skirts and girl's clothes if you're a boy?"

Zexion let out a bitter laugh. "My master thinks that I have the physical body of a girl, and it's his biggest turn-on about me," he said. "More so than Xion and Larxene ever were to him. And it makes me sick to my stomach."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, you look more attractive when you're dressed as a boy in my opinion."

"Thanks, I guess."

Kairi blew her bangs out of her eyes and leaned back against the brick building behind them. "I hate living this life," she said. "Ever since I found out that I wasn't from Destiny Islands, I wanted to travel the world and find where I'm from. Then I found out that my hometown is in ruins, and we found ourselves in Twilight Town. Prostitution was our only resort in the end."

"Where are you from?" Zexion asked.

"Radiant Garden." Kairi shook her head. "Complete wasteland now. Looked like someone bombed the whole damn place."

"Oh." Zexion stared at his feet as he slid back against the wall until he was on the ground.

Kairi bit her lip and sat beside him. "You're from there too?"

The boy nodded. "My parents died when I was nine, and Ansem adopted me on the spot. I was twelve when I finally realized why he was so interested in me."

"Men are pigs."

"I agree." Zexion turned his head to face Kairi. "Sometimes, I dream that I'm far away from here. That no one can find me. Not Ansem, not my so-called 'foster siblings'. Nobody. But I know that it's just a naïve dream. I'm gonna be stuck in this hellhole for all eternity with this false sense of hope to keep me alive."

"...That's not entirely false hope."

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so certain?"

Kairi sat on her knees and scooted close to Zexion. "What if I told you that I met someone who could take us far away from here?"

"I'd call bullshit, but I'll allow you to continue."

"Well, I have this friend who knows a way from here back to Destiny Islands. And the place itself is so far from here it'll be nearly impossible to be found."

Zexion let this newfound information sink in. A way out of Twilight Town. What he once thought was ridiculous but was now a plausible reality.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"Because I know when someone needs to be saved, even if they can't say it out loud," Kairi said with a smile. "And you're probably wondering why I haven't thought of bringing Sora or Riku or Naminé. Well, we've discussed it in the past. We've decided that Riku is strong enough to find his own way back, and Sora and Naminé refuse to abandon his side for more than a day. Whenever I decided to leave, I'd let them know, and they would follow me on their own path and we'd meet up back home. Plus, I'm allowed to bring a friend." The redhead held out a hand. "What do you say? Will you let me take you away from all of this?"

Zexion didn't even think twice before putting his hand in her grasp.


	15. Chapter 15

_"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game."_

_~Voltaire_

Zexion and Kairi continued planning away in secret. They purposefully tried not to get any potential clients' attention so they could be left alone long enough to talk over any new details. Kairi, as it turned out, was a very clever little girl underneath all of her sass and spunk, Zexion concluded. The downside of the planning was facing Ansem's wrath whenever he came home with much less than the others.

"Are you holding out on me, boy?" he growled one morning, holding the boy midair by his hair.

"Ansem, I swear, they just have no interest in him anymore," Axel defended.

"I don't believe you!"

"It's true," Roxas added. "They usually go after Demyx or myself."

"Hmph. Well, then I guess we'll have to make you look more appealing to the eye."

"More appealing" was Ansem's way of saying less clothing. That night, Zexion shivered in a pair of denim cutoffs and worn sneakers. This didn't help his case any better. The excessive amount of blemishes and bruises from other clients didn't appeal to the men who drove by. Neither did the sweater Kairi was sporting. He even had to take out his nipple rings when the cold metal became too uncomfortable to bear.

"Zexion and I are gonna go see if there's anything interesting in the alley," Kairi announced to Axel, Roxas, and Riku halfway through the night.

"Why'd you wanna go anywhere with Little Miss Depression?" Axel asked.

"Because he's better company than a pain-in-the-ass like you," the girl spat back. Roxas giggled at the remark, earning an extra grope from Axel. Riku understood what she'd meant and just stared at the passing cars. Kairi took Zexion's hand and led him into the alley, looking around every dumpster and door they passed.

"Where is she?" she asked no one in particular.

"Who?" Zexion asked.

"Me."

The two looked up to see a figure jumping from a nearby fire escape, landing on her feet below them. When she stood up straight, she was nearly a foot taller than the two teens. Her eccentric blue hair swayed with the breeze blowing through the alley. Her sapphire eyes gleamed with mischief and mystery. Zexion had no clue who this girl was, but he automatically knew he could trust her.

"Zexion, this is Aqua," Kairi introduced. "Aqua, Zexion. You know, the boy I told you about."

Aqua approached Zexion. She lifted his chin and ran her fingers over his face, shoulders, neck, and chest. "So you're the boy Kairi wants to help," she said as she felt Zexion's bony arms.

"I'd assume so," he replied.

"I see. You're much more frail than she'd described. You look like an overused human chew toy, but I guess that's what every prostitute is nowadays, huh?" She pulled away from the boy. "Very well then."

"I thought you should at least meet her," Kairi said. "So you know what she looks like when we leave Twilight Town."

"Good idea," Zexion agreed.

"Now, listen to my instructions," Aqua informed the teens. "In seven days, I'll be waiting in front of Merlin's house on the other side of town. He's a wizard, and our only way out of here. He can get us from Point A to Point B in a matter of seconds. I'd suggest that you-" She poked Zexion's chest "-find Kairi first, since she already knows where to go." Aqua poked Kairi's shoulder. "I already have an established shelter waiting for the three of us on Destiny Islands. I suggest you two pack your belongings beforehand and say your goodbyes."

Kairi and Zexion shared a look and found Aqua gone when they turned their heads back.

"We better head on back," Kairi suggested.

"Wait," Zexion blurted. "I was wondering... could we bring a third person?"

Kairi stared into his eyes, trying to figure out whether or not he was kidding. She sighed and shook her head. "I know you want to help Demyx," she said, "but we can't save everyone. I already had difficulty convincing Aqua to let me bring you, let alone a third person. How do you think I feel about leaving all of my friends behind to fend for themselves?" Kairi took a deep breath and tried to keep her tears buried deep inside. "I suggest you say your goodbyes before the end of the week." She and Zexion wordlessly walked back to their friends just as a car pulled up.

"Here." Kairi pulled off her sweater, revealing a very tiny pink shirt and what Zexion assumed was considered shorts. The sweater was draped around his shoulders.

"But..." he began to protest.

"You need it more than I do right now," the redhead said with sincerity. She strutted over to the car and was driving away with the man almost instantly.

"There's the slut I'd grown to tolerate," Axel snorted.

"And there's the jealousy I was starting to miss," Roxas teased.

Zexion put his arms in the sleeves and hugged himself as he tried to stay warm.


	16. Chapter 16

_"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."_

_~Aristotle_

Zexion was now facing a hard, cold fact: he may never see Demyx again.

It was three days before he was leaving with Kairi and Aqua and reality was punching Zexion in the gut. For the past few days, he tried forcing himself to believe that it wasn't true. He and Demyx would live happily ever after on Destiny Islands. Then, last night, Kairi told Zexion that he should pack ahead of time. Packing meant it was actually happening. With running away actually happening, that meant he really was leaving everything behind. Everything included Demyx. How could he just get up and leave Demyx behind?

During lunch, Ansem came into the kitchen and looked at all fourteen people in the room. "I'm heading into town today with Xion," he said. "Until then, all of you are to listen to Xemnas."

"I'll make sure everything stays under control while you're gone, master," Xemnas assured. Xion gulped and followed her master out the front door.

"I heard she's getting an abortion," Larxene gabbed.

"That's not true!" Roxas cried.

"Your indignance proves otherwise. Besides, without her here, there's no point in me poking fun at the little girl. So who wants to play Truth or Dare?"

"Oh, _hell_ yes," Marluxia agreed. "We can play in my room. No limits."

"I'm in," most of the others agreed, including Roxas (begrudgingly, as Axel forced to include himself in the game).

"I'd rather not take part in any of your disgusting games," Zexion turned down.

"Pussy," Larxene muttered.

"I'm gonna take a shower and try this new hairstyle I saw, so count me out," Demyx added.

"Suit yourself. C'mon, I've got the perfect dare I want to test on one of you." With that, eleven young (or much older) adults filed into Marluxia's room to partake in what would quickly become a perverted and violent game.

Zexion retired to his room and searched for the bag he'd come to Ansem's house with as a child. He found it in the closet. When he opened the closet door, he spied on Demyx, who was half-dressed and searching for clean clothes to wear. Zexion stayed still, observing his crush from afar until the blonde left the room to shower.

_What am I doing? How could I leave behind such an amazing guy?_ Zexion scolded himself. _All I want is to be with him, and here I am deserting him! I'm practically throwing him to the wolves!_

All rational thoughts flew out the window as Zexion found himself storming out of his room and into the bathroom. He paused momentarily, standing by the sink as he watched the silhouette of Demyx lathering himself with soap and humming another one of his tunes. It was nearly unbearable to watch. All he wanted to do was throw himself at the blonde and release the months of lust building up. But Zexion still had a shred of his dignity in tact. Instead, he waited until Demyx turned off the running water and pulled back to curtain to see the slatenette. The blond nearly screamed when he saw the younger boy.

"Zexion! You scared me," he exclaimed. Demyx grabbed a nearby towel and started drying himself off. "What're you doing here?"

_Quick, Zexion, think!_ "I was in here to, uh, make sure someone wasn't dared to surprise you in the shower," he lied.

"That was very thoughtful of you."

Zexion watched Demyx dress, his eyes tracing over every inch of precious tan skin. The blonde hair wetly clinging to his forehead and neck, the bangs not standing up as they usually were. The droplets of water running down his neck and torso. The sea irises full of life despite having his own degraded to dirt. The pouty, plump lips that he wanted to devour.

"I love you," he whispered without realizing it.

"What'd you say?" Demyx asked as he dried his hair with the towel.

Zexion turned bright red. "I-I didn't say anything."

"Yes, you did, you said something." Demyx stepped closer, his body brushing against Zexion's. "What was it?"

The younger boy was trapped. He gulped and decided to be brave enough to confess his feelings. "I-I love you, Demyx," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "I love you. I love everything about you. Your laugh, your smile, your perky outlook on this pathetic life we're living. Your eyes, which are so beautiful they make me feel like I'm staring into the deepest oceans. A-and your sitar-playing skills are phenomenal and _sexy_. And I know I'm starting to babble, but I had to tell you my feelings before I did this!"

Zexion threw himself at Demyx, crashing their lips together. He was surprised when Demyx caught the slatenette and deepened the kiss, swiping his tongue at the other's lips. Zexion parted his and granted the tongue entrance, their mouths tangoing together. He ran his fingers through the blonde mane and wrapped his legs around Demyx as he was picked up and carried into his own bedroom. The door was kicked shut behind them and the younger was thrown onto the bed. Demyx pulled off his own shirt, revealing his perfect body, before climbing onto Zexion and reuniting their lips. He unbuttoned Zexion's shirt and slid it off the boy's arms, tossing it carelessly to the side.

"Wait," he said against the other's lips. "I don't want this to seem forced."

"Demyx, I want this so bad," Zexion promised. "I _need_ you in me right now."

"Are you sure?"

Instead of getting a verbal answer, Demyx was flipped onto his back, the smaller boy now straddling him with a seductive smirk on his lips. He kissed and licked and bit Demyx's chest, enjoying the moans he was eliciting from the blonde. A hand snuck into his shorts, fingertips tracing over the VI on his rear. This turned him on even more. He groaned into Demyx's shoulder, letting up long enough to be flipped back over. Demyx nearly tore off both of their shorts and underwear, both boys now completely naked.

"This is gonna be different from before," he warned. "It's just you and me this time."

"That's how I want it to be," Zexion said.

"Okay." Demyx reached over Zexion and grabbed the lube from the nightstand. "So, how should we approach this."

"All I want is you in me. _Please_, I _need_ you in me." Zexion had surprised himself with the need in his begs. Demyx nodded and coated himself with the lube before hovering at Zexion's entrance.

"Last time - are you sure?"

Zexion wrapped his legs around Demyx's waist and forced him inside. His face went screwy at Demyx's size, adjusting to it before telling him it was okay to move. Demyx nodded, pulling out and thrusting in again, causing Zexion to arch his back as a sensitive spot was hit. Demyx continued on that angle, euphoria skyrocketing in the slatenette. He brought Demyx's mouth to his, moaning into him as they made love. It took all of Demyx's will not to come on the spot, and when he finally did, Zexion did at the same time. Demyx collapsed onto Zexion, the two boys panting heavily. The younger boy moved first, grabbing one of Larxene's hand-me-down shirts to wipe them off. When they were cleaner, they lied down beside each other, trying to wrap their heads around what'd just happened between them.

That's when Zexion started to cry.

"Oh, no, I was worried this would happen," Demyx said. "Zexy, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Zexion assured. "I'm not sad. I'm happy."

Demyx giggled. "You're crying because you're happy? You're too funny sometimes." He rolled over and draped his arms over Zexion, hugging the boy close to him.

Zexion forced himself to smile. He didn't have the heart to reveal why he was truly crying: This was his one and only chance to have Demyx, and he'll never have the chance again once he's gone.


	17. Chapter 17

_"Basically, I'm for anything that gets you through the night - be it a prayer, tranquilizers or a bottle of Jack Daniels."_

_~Frank Sinatra_

It was the eve of his escape, and Zexion couldn't have been any more nervous. On the corner, he could barely contain his nerves. Roxas questioned him a few times about his excitement, only to be told it wasn't anything to worry about. The only thing that brought him back to calmness was whenever he thought of Demyx and remembered that he would never see the cheery blonde ever again. Kairi's excitement was evident as well, her eyes sparkling with the upcoming sense of adventure and escape from this horrible life.

"What's the one thing you're gonna miss the most, Kairi?" Sora asked when it was only them and Zexion on the street.

"I think I'm gonna miss seeing my best friends every day." Kairi brushed her auburn bangs to the side and smiled. "Having you guys was the only thing that made this worthwhile."

"Good, 'cause I'd be disappointed if you said otherwise," Sora teased, shoving Kairi lightly. He turned to Zexion. "What about you? What're you gonna miss the most?"

Zexion pretended to ponder the question. He already had his answer. Before he could vocalize it, Demyx was dropped off with the others, his lips bruised.

"My guy was really into kissing," he said, making a face as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand a few times. "At least he tasted minty."

"Kissers are the worst," Kairi agreed. "Yours looked like he had fun with you."

"He might've, but I didn't." Demyx plopped down next to Zexion and kissed him. "Your lips are the only ones I want against mine."

Sora knew what Zexion's answer was by the pained look cast in his eyes.

* * *

Five shirts. Five pairs of shorts. A pair of sneakers. Socks. Underwear. A couple of sweaters. Despite that most of these items had once been worn by Larxene, they made up most of Zexion's possessions. Before he zipped his bag shut, he packed the last of his personal belongings. An old novel containing the history of the ancient Keyblade Wars from his mother's library, with the picture of him and his parents from long ago hidden between the pages. That went in the middle of the bag, to keep it dry in case rain permeated the bag. A gun was also tucked in. How he'd snuck it past Ansem yesterday was still miraculous, and he didn't want to even know how Kairi was able to get one for him, let alone a few more for herself and her friends. Once his bag was packed, he went into the bathroom and threw it out the tiny window, reminding himself to grab it before leaving tomorrow. Fortunately the rest of the mansion was sleeping in their own beds. (At least, that's what Zexion wanted to assume. He had a hunch Roxas was inviting Axel into his room whenever he could.)

He tossed and turned in bed, trying to fight the building insomnia. His attempts were useless. He was too anxious at this point. There had to be some way to find enough peace to sleep.

Zexion decided Demyx was the solution.

He climbed through the hole in his closet to enter Demyx's room. To his surprise, the blonde was just as restless as he was.

"Couldn't sleep?" Demyx asked. The younger boy shook his head. "Yeah, me either. C'mere." Zexion made his way through the room, trying not to trip over the shoes and clothes tossed carelessly on the floor. He crawled under the covers and curled up next to Demyx, their faces resting right in front of the other's.

"What's got you staying up?" the blonde asked.

"Just got a lot on my mind," Zexion answered.

"Me too." Demyx smiled. "And most of it's about you."

"Me? Why me?"

"Nothing bad. Just... I can't imagine how I got so lucky." Demyx scooted closer, absently running his long fingers through the other's slate bangs. "Here I am, living in hell, and along comes this sweet, smart, sexy guy who makes me forget how much life sucks. And I keep on asking myself what I've ever done to deserve someone so perfect as you."

Zexion blushed. "I'm none of those things," he muttered sheepishly.

"Sure you are. I mean, I'm just this goofy dude, and you... you're everything a person wants all wrapped up in a cute little body." Demyx giggled as he sat up. He pushed back Zexion's hair, staring into not one but two identically blue eyes. He gaped at them.

"What is it?" Zexion asked.

"I've never seen both of your eyes before," Demyx said. "I think you're more beautiful like this."

Zexion wanted to cry all over again. What made him worthy of such a radiant, thoughtful creature?

And why was he leaving him behind?

He pulled Demyx down to meet his lips, the kiss sweet and simple, and yet full of passion. Zexion wanted to spend as much time left as he could with Demyx and give all of his heart to the blonde.


	18. Chapter 18

_"Never derive someone of hope; it might be all they have."_

_~H. Brown Jackson, Jr._

"You guys go ahead without me," Zexion said as he headed out with his friends the following night.

"Why?" Xion questioned.

"I just remembered that I forgot to put on underwear. I'd rather have an extra layer on, you know?"

"I didn't need to know that much information, thank you," Axel said, making a face. "C'mon, guys." Demyx, Roxas, and Xion reluctantly followed the redhead. Zexion waited until they'd gone past the gate before sneaking around the side of the castle. He searching through the tall grass until he'd found his bag. He threw it over his shoulders, glad it was much lighter than when he'd came here years ago.

"I knew something was up with you," a chilling voice said from behind him. Zexion turned around and saw Xemnas glaring at him.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Then you don't mind if I take a look in the bag?" Xemnas took the bag off Zexion's shoulders and zipped it open. Zexion panicked, but fortunately he prepared himself. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the switchblade he'd stolen from the kitchen drawer. He used it to stab Xemnas in the chest several times, each hit bloodier than the previous. Xemnas dropped the bag in shock, staggering back around the tenth stab and falling to his knees. He tried to speak, but he fell over before he could form any words.

"What have I done?" Zexion hissed. He zipped his bag shut and held onto it tight before sprinting away from the scene. He didn't plan on hurting anyone! How could he stab Xemnas? Sure, the man was an ass, but that didn't need to be justified with murder! And how would Ansem respond to this?

Zexion found out his answer when halfway through the forest something snatched him by the shirt and yanked him backwards. The boy crashed into his master, fear causing him to freeze. His bag flew several feet in front of him, too far from his reach.

"Xemnas was right," he said. "You were acting suspicious recently."

"Let go of me!" Zexion cried.

Ansem laughed. "Pathetic child, you think you can escape me?" he barked. Zexion was thrown against a tree. He slid to the ground, too scared to move. "I'll show you what happens when you try to defy me!" Ansem grabbed Zexion's ankle and dragged him across the ground toward him.

"NO!" Zexion squirmed relentlessly, only stopping after he was flipped over and punched in the chest three times, followed by a few unnecessary slaps. He groaned as he was rolled onto his stomach. He was too weak to stop Ansem from stripping the bottom half of him.

"You'll learn your lesson after this," Ansem growled. Zexion let out a bloodcurling howl when he felt a tongue invade him. This was worst than any other stranger, even worst than being drugged than raped. He wished that Ansem would've just killed him instead. He continued screaming in pain when two fingers were roughly jammed inside of him.

"You like this, you little shit! Fuck, I'd forgotten how tight you are!" Ansem bit the boy's rear hard enough to almost draw blood, tongue tracing over the VI. Zexion just cried, his throat raw from screaming. He could've sworn blood was seeping out of his entrance at this point.

"Now for the best part..."

Zexion heard the gun, but he didn't know who fired the shot. For a moment, he prayed the bullet had gone through his own skull, but found out it hadn't. He looked up and saw Axel pointing the gun from his bag in his direction, Demyx, Xion, and Roxas standing behind the redhead. Behind him, Ansem lied in a pool of his own blood with a bullet lodged in his brain.

"Zexion!" Demyx cried. He ran over to his friend and dressed him before pulling him into his arms. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I..." Zexion didn't know how to say this right.

"He's running away," Axel announced. Everyone looked at him, surprised by the statement. "Not that I blame you. And don't try to cover it up, I overheard you and Kairi. You two are running away together to live on Destiny Islands."

Demyx looked back at Zexion. "Tell me it isn't true," he pleaded.

"I wanted to bring you with me," the slatenette croaked. "But Kairi said I couldn't." He looked at Axel. "That's why I was going to give you guys that gun."

"What were we gonna do with a gun?" Axel asked.

"Protect yourselves. Run away from here too and find your own way to Destiny Islands. And now that Ansem's dead, you don't have to live in fear anymore."

"You were just going to leave everything behind?" Demyx asked, tears in his eyes. "Even me?"

Zexion sighed and pulled himself to his feet. "I don't want to," he admitted. "But one day, I hope we'll see each other again."

Now tears spilled from the sea green eyes. "I know you have to. And I hope we find each other too." Demyx stood up and leaned down to give Zexion one last kiss. "I know we will."

Zexion nodded and limped his way to his bag. He picked it up and looked up at Axel. "I know you're going to protect them."

The redhead nodded. "I will," he promised.

Zexion nodded and looked past him at Roxas and Xion. "Keep these two from getting out of control," he said, motioning to Axel and Demyx.

"That's in the instruction manual," Roxas said with a smile.

"We'll miss you, Zexion," Xion added.

"And I'll miss all of you." Zexion waved goodbye and limped past them, trying to stay up on two feet. He didn't want to let any potential injuries he'd just received to slow him down. He continued until he found Kairi, when he finally collapsed on the sidewalk. Kairi put his arm around her neck for support as the two made their way to Merlin's house. Aqua was waiting in front of the building for them when they arrived.

"I thought there'd be some difficulties," she said when she spotted Zexion's limp. "We'll fix you up when we get to Destiny Islands. Come inside, and we can finally leave."

Zexion smiled weakly as he went inside, ready to finally escape.


	19. Epilogue

_"It looks like the future's really bright."_

_~Michael P. Anderson_

Zexion woke up to his alarm clock ringing. He reached over blindly and stopped the chiming sound. He pulled himself out of bed and dragged his feet to the closet. After dressing in his school uniform - a white button-down shirt, blue plaid tie, matching plaid pants, and ugly brown loafers - he brushed his hair in the mirror. After a second thought, he used one of the barrettes Kairi gave him to clip his bangs to the side, seeing both of his eyes in his reflection. Some of the kids at school, mostly girls, said he looked pretty when both of his eyes were showing. As much as he hated to admit it, they were right.

He looked over at his dresser to see the picture of him and his parents framed. He bit his lip to refrain from smiling at the memory of how happy he was as a young child. He didn't want to be happy. In fact, he hadn't smiled since that day he left Twilight Town, three years ago. Kairi tried to perk him up, but her attempts were futile. Nothing could make him smile ever again.

"Zexion?" Speak of the devil, her voice travelled from the other side of his bedroom door as she knocked lightly. "Are you decent?"

"Yes," he answered.

"Good." Kairi opened the door, dressed in the female equivalent of the school uniform, its only difference being a skirt instead of full-length pants and navy knee-high socks. "Aqua made us breakfast. Naminé should be meeting us here in about fifteen minutes, so hurry up before your eggs get cold." Kairi shut the door behind her as she left.

Zexion sighed. It wasn't entirely fair. Why was it all three of Kairi's friends were able to find their way back to Destiny Islands within a year after their departure, yet he hadn't seen his own? He didn't want to hate Kairi for being luckier, but he had to wonder what he'd done to deserve this. He made his way to the kitchen and sighed as he sat down to a plate of eggs and toast.

"And the sigher makes his presence known," Aqua teased as she sipped her coffee. "I see you put your hair back."

"I like it," Kairi said as she toyed with her now shoulder-length auburn hair. "You have very nice eyes. I don't know why you try hiding them all the time."

Zexion sighed again.

* * *

"Hey, Zexy, what answer did you get for question five? Selphie asked as she leaned toward the slatenette.

"I would prefer if you refrained from using that nickname for me," Zexion responded coolly. "And my answer is **y = 17x + 31**_**i**_."

Selphie giggled for absolutely no reason. "I got the same answer!" she exclaimed.

"Selphie, I think you should follow the dress code and fasten the top two buttons of your blouse." The brunette pouted and did as she was told, her flirting pushed aside as always. Zexion didn't dislike the girl, since she was a very sweet person. The flirty side of her, however, was something he could live without.

He looked around the classroom. The teacher, as always, had written an assignment on the board for the class to complete before going to the staffs' lounge to gossip. Since Zexion was usually finished early, such as today, he observed his other classmates. Sora and Tidus were using their pencils as swords. Wakka and Riku bragged about who could lift more weight. Kairi painted Naminé's nails, and Selphie joined them, knowing she was getting nowhere with Zexion. It was a small class, and everyone was amicable with one another.

Yet Zexion always felt like the lonely outcast of the class.

* * *

The slatenette sat on the dock, his legs dangling over the edge. After school, he came straight here to be alone. Whenever he had a day where he couldn't stop thinking about Demyx, he came out here and tried forgetting about him. Staring at the ocean didn't help, since they reminded him of the blonde's eyes. But at least he gave an effort.

"There you are," Zexion heard someone say. He looked up to see Naminé, now wearing a white dress and blue sandals instead of her school uniform. The blonde sat next to him and offered one of her trademark heartwarming smiles. "Selphie said you sort of... ran away after the bell rang. I heard this is where you usually hide."

"I prefer the calm waves to try relaxing," he replied, refusing to meet the other girl's eyes. "It gives me a peace of mind."

"I can see why. It's so quiet out here. It's like this place was made for you." After a few moments of silence from both parties, Naminé pointed to the water. "Do you see that?" she asked. Zexion glanced around the water to find a yellow star floating around.

"What is that?" he asked.

"It's a paopu fruit," Naminé answered. "It's a very special fruit. Legend has it that if you share the fruit with another person, your destinies become intertwined. I've always wanted to share one with somebody, but I never know who. One day I'll find someone who will."

"I hope you do, Naminé," Zexion said. "Anyone would be lucky to share the paopu fruit with a girl as special as you are."

"Sometimes I think you try acting bitter so nobody knows how sweet you are." She took the boy's hand. He observed the pink lacquer coated on her fingernails. "I know you'll see him again. He'd never give up on you."

"I hope so."

"Well, I should go home before my parents start to worry. See you tomorrow, Zexion." With a kiss on the cheek goodbye, Naminé stood up and walked off.

* * *

Later, Zexion decided to wander the beaches. He carried his socks and loafers in hand and rolled up his pant legs so sand didn't ruin them. He particularly liked the feeling of the warm grains between his toes, despite how much it annoyed Aqua when he accidentally tracked sand into the house. He let himself enjoy the beach. Once again, he had to force himself to not smile.

Suddenly, a yellow star bonked him on the forehead. He winced and rubbed the spot where it hit him before picking up the paopu fruit. One of the points had a large bite taken out of it.

"What the...?"

"You know," a familiar voice said, "I heard that when you share the fruit with someone else, your destinies become intertwined. Although, I'd share it with someone just because it tastes so damn sweet. I think Roxie might appreciate it."

Zexion turned around, gaping at who he saw. "Axel?"

"In the flesh," the redhead replied with a grin. "What, did you think we really gave up on you after all this time?" Zexion ran into his arms, nearly crying from the overwhelming joy. He even allowed himself to smile.

"I thought I'd never see you guys again!" he sobbed. "Where are the others? Is it just you?"

"Nah, the others are all with that Kairi chick. She's still has that annoying spunky attitude, too. How the hell do you put up with it?"

Zexion punched Axel's shoulder. "Shut up. Let's go." The slatenette grabbed his friend's wrist and led the way back home.

* * *

"Roxas! Xion!"

"Zexion!"

"Oh my gosh, Zexion!"

Three bodies came together, hugging and laughing and jumping. Aqua was in the kitchen grabbing drinks for her guests. Kairi observed from the staircase with a smile on her face, along with Sora, Riku, and Naminé, who had come over after school. Of course, they'd gotten their helloes in while Axel retrieved Zexion from the beach.

"You guys have _no_ idea how hard it was to get here," Roxas said in an exaggerated tone. "Especially when Mr. Too-Stubborn-To-Ask-For-Directions over here brought us to every other place _but_ here for the past three years."

"You guys elected me the leader because I was the oldest," Axel reminded him.

"And we all regretted it," Xion giggled.

"Well, uh, not to be rude, but where's Demyx?" Zexion asked.

Kairi and her friends stood to one side of the staircase. "Your room," the auburn-haired girl answered. Zexion nodded and slowly ascended the stairs, anxious to see Demyx.

He paused outside his bedroom door, his hand hovering in front of the doorknob. It'd been three years since their last encounter. What if the blond had changed? Maybe he had moved on from Zexion. Worse, he could've fallen for someone, like Axel. No, wait, Axel had talked about wanted to share a paopu fruit with Roxas, and after years of pining over the blonde, no way was he suddenly jumping ship. Or had he? Now Zexion was afraid to open the door and find out that Demyx had moved on. Finally, after having many debates with himself, he willed himself to push the door open.

There he was. Demyx, standing in his bedroom, staring at the picture of little Ienzo and his family. His omnipresent smile glowed more than usual. His hair was still a complete mess, per usual. The black button-down shirt on his tall frame was undone, the tan skin underneath exposed. All Zexion could do was drool. He didn't move until Demyx looked up at him, his ocean eyes gleaming.

"You were such a cute kid," he said. "Almost as cute then as you are _sexy_ now."

"Demyx!" Zexion literally jumped on Demyx, causing the two to fall onto Zexion's bed, with Demyx on the bottom.

"I didn't know you wanted to get into bed this fast!" the blond teased.

"Perv." Zexion pressed their lips together, almost moaning instantly.

"Says the guy who kisses someone after saying two words."

Zexion moved away from Demyx, straddling the blond, a smirk on his face. "You didn't object when I jumped you after that shower."

"Three years ago!"

Zexion rolled off of Demyx and lied next to him. Demyx turned onto his side to face the slatenette. "I missed you," Zexion said in almost a whisper.

"I never stopped thinking of you," Demyx said. "I thought after all this time, some pretty girl would sweep you off your feet. At least, I heard you were the class heart-throb."

"I guess so, but none of those girls can compare to you."

"Gosh, you look so different," Demyx giggled. "I can actually see both of your eyes! And you grew, like, an inch!"

"Shut up!" Zexion laughed. He scooted closer to Demyx and kissed him again. "I love you. So much."

Demyx took his hand and squeezed it gently. "I love you too."


End file.
